Q. Why is this in News?
A. Recently, Director General of the National Mission for Clean Ganga spoke about the Arth Ganga model during World Water Week 2022.
Q. What are the Key Features of the Arth Ganga Project?
A.
- About:
- ‘Arth Ganga’ implies a sustainable development model with a focus on economic activities related to Ganga.
- PM Modi first introduced the concept during the first National Ganga Council meeting in Kanpur in 2019, where he urged for a shift from Namami Gange to the model of Arth Ganga.
- Under Arth Ganga, the government is working on six verticals:
- The first is Zero Budget Natural Farming, which involves chemical-free farming on 10 km on either side of the river, and the promotion of cow dung as fertilizer through the Gobardhan scheme.
- The Monetization and Reuse of Sludge & Wastewater is the second, which seeks to reuse treated water for irrigation, industries and revenue generation for Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).
- Arth Ganga will also involve Livelihood Generation Opportunities, by creating haats where people can sell local products, medicinal plants and ayurveda.
- The fourth is to increase public participation by increasing synergies between the stakeholders involved with the river.
- The model also wants to promote the cultural heritage and tourism of Ganga and its surroundings, through boat tourism, adventure sports and by conducting yoga activities.
- Lastly, the model seeks to promote institutional building by empowering local administration for improved water governance.
Q. What is World Water Week?
A.
- World Water Week is an annual conference on global water issues which is held in the last week of August every year.
- It was started in 1991 and initially part of a public water festival in the Swedish capital, Stockholm.
- Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) is the organizer of World Water Week.
- World Water Week is an opportunity to explore water aspects of challenges like the climate crisis, food security, energy, and many other topics.
- The week is also taken as an opportunity to discuss and accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG6), which is about clean water and sanitation for all.
- The theme for World Water Week 2022 is “Seeing the Unseen: The Value of Water.”
- The theme will look at three main areas: the value of water among people and for development, the value of water with respect to nature and climate change, and the economic and financial value of water.