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.