Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the first meeting of the National Ganga Council in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. He stressed on a three pronged focus on ‘swachhta’, ‘aviralra’ and ‘nirmalta’. The Prime Minister urged for a holistic process where ‘Namami Gange’ evolves to ‘Arth Ganga’ or a sustainable development model with a focus on economic activities related to Ganga.

National Ganga Council,
• The National Ganga Council was created in October 2016, dissolving the National Ganga River Basin Authority.
• The National Ganga Council is formed under the Environment (Protection) Act (EPA), 1986.
• The Council has been given overall responsibility for the superintendence of pollution prevention and rejuvenation of River Ganga Basin, including Ganga and its tributaries.
• National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) acts as an implementation arm of the National Ganga Council.
The first meeting of the Council was aimed at reinforcing the importance of a ‘Ganga-centric’ approach In all departments of the concerned states as well as relevant Central Ministries.