The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi attended National Ganga Council meet held in Kolkata on December 30 via video conferencing.
Shri Modi said that it was a great opportunity to discuss ways to further strengthen the Namami Gange initiative.
PM Modi also spoke about ways to enhance cleanliness efforts including expanding the network of sewage treatment plants in the smaller towns.
It was the first meeting since 2019 of the Council, which is the apex authority responsible for cleaning the river and includes the Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal as members.
During the meeting, the PM emphasised on ways to enhance various forms of herbal farming along the Ganga. He also highlighted the need to boost tourism infrastructure along the river, which can provide livelihood opportunities to several people.
Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee National Institute of Water and Sanitation (SPM-NIWAS)
Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi today inaugurated the Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee National Institute of Water and Sanitation (SPM-NIWAS) at Joka in Kolkata via video conferencing.
SPM – NIWAS has been set up at a cost of around Rs. 100 Crore, on 8.72 acres of land at Joka, Diamond Harbour Road, Kolkata, West Bengal.
Through this apex institute on Water and Sanitation, the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) aims to bridge the knowledge and capacity building gap in the field of public health engineering, sanitation & hygiene, through short, medium & long-term courses which are not just related to engineering but also cover aspects of management, health, accounting, law and public policies.
