Figure 3 . Timeline of the Major Events to Clean Ganga
‘Namami Gange’, as the name suggests, the mission is bowing to the Ganga
River and seeing it as more than simply water. Namami Gange Programme
(NGP) is an integrated and multi-sectoral programme, and incorporates
the Ganga notion as a stream of material water that is the manifestation
of divine Ganga Maa. Recently, NGP has transitioned from a
construction-only strategy to a construction-plus-performance approach
by developing the HAM model in order to work toward the sustainability
of the infrastructure projects built (Hybrid-Annuity-Model). The model
also ensures the prompt completion of the plant’s construction because
only a portion of the total allotted money is given to construction
company during the building phase, and any delay or ill-practice will
result in potential liabilities. This strategy also enhances the plant
monitoring and operations through the use of SCADA and other
cutting-edge technologies. It refers to a paradigm shift in the sector
as the performance is integrated into the model and the value of
investment is assured. This methodology was also recently adopted by
NITI Aayog for liquid/solid waste management. The Namami Ganga is a
comprehensive Ganga rejuvenation strategy that includes Aviralta,
Nirmalta, ecological restoration, and connecting people to the river,
and this approach has yielded results, with the completion of numerous
key projects along the Ganga, leading to an improvement in the river’s
health (Singh, A.K., 2022).
The ultimate objective is to raise public awareness of the value of
natural resources and advocate their sustainable usage. However, for
this to happen or for the successful implementation of this project,
public communication and engagement, as well as complete consideration
of public opinion at all levels of governance, is required. Several
opponents have publicly criticized the overall functioning of this
programme or specific aspects of it, such as ’Arth Ganga,’ ’Clean
Ganga,’ ’Jal Jeevan Mission,’ ’Jal Shakti Abhiyan,’ and so on.
Furthermore, there are also couple of important learnings that have been
presented in the form of case studies, pilot studies or as positive
critique. This review article will help to the improvement of
sustainable water governance by offering a detailed plan based on the
underlying difficulties gathered from the opinions of several experts in
this field, due to its distinctive method of studying public opinion on
government policies.