The Hindu Business Line : Little progress in Ganga clean-up scheme: PAC

The Committee pointed out that GAP-I was scheduled to be completed by 1990 but was declared complete only in 2000, while GAP-II, which was scheduled to be completed by 2001 has been extended till December 2008.

New Delhi , Feb. 9

THE monitoring mechanism for the Ganga Action Plan (GAP) has collapsed, leading to little progress in the river clean-up scheme, according to the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament.

The Committee "was astonished to note that the monitoring system of such a prestigious and important plan is its weakest link. There was no detailed record of the outcome of the field visits and review meetings with implementing agencies by the National Rivers Conservation Directorate, as also of the follow-up action as has been envisaged in the Plan itself," the panel, headed by Mr Buta Singh, has said in its latest report.

Stating that the delay in the completion of the two phases of the GAP scheme reflected the "extremely knee-jerk pace" of work in the last 18 years, the panel said, "It speaks volumes of the inefficiency and lack of foresight on the part of the implementing agencies - Central and State Governments and contracted agencies."

Even the water quality monitoring had been discontinued due to shortage of funds.

Collateral findings revealed that the water quality had, in fact, deteriorated in all its parameters, leaving the Committee "wondering as to how without water quality test checks, the schemes could be declared successfully implemented".

On the funds utilisation under the GAP, the Committee has said that while, on one hand, States have complained of lack of funds as the main reason for delay and failure to achieve the targets, on the other, several implementing agencies have failed to spend the money made available to them.

"The Committee is of the firm view that no amount of additional resources would rejuvenate the GAP till the system stopped tolerating officials who do not perform. This requires amelioration in governance through improved performance and accountability through public participation," the report says.

In the absence of an effective control mechanism, State Governments took full advantage to divert and misuse the funds. Participating State Governments of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal failed to work in tandem and did not provide their matching share for the schemes in terms of land and power.

"By solely relying on the goodwill of the State Governments, the Ministry (Environment and Forests) has treaded on an uncertain path for guaranteed failure," the Committee report says.

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