Water Resources Minister Shri C. R. Patil presided over the 20th meeting of the authorized task force on Ganga conservation.

The 20th meeting of the authorized task force formed for Ganga conservation was chaired by Water Resources Minister Shri C. R. Patil, with senior officials from the central and state governments, environmental experts, and social workers participating. The main purpose of the meeting was to assess the progress of the targets set under the “Ganga Action Plan” issued in 2022 and to determine priority actions for the coming year. Patil stated that water‑quality indicators have improved in the major flow zones of the Ganga, but pollution levels remain high in some rivers due to heavy industrial and agricultural waste.

The meeting specifically discussed expanding the capacity of water‑treatment plants on the three major banks of the Ganga—Sahibganj, Varanasi, and Patna—launching a local “Sustainable Cleanliness Campaign” for waste management, and extending awareness programmes for river‑bank communities. The minister said the government is committed to investing an additional 500 crore rupees in water‑treatment projects and will advance “green infrastructure” plans to restore the Ganga’s ecosystem.

Task‑force members praised Patil’s proposals and said that the goal of making the Ganga “clean, healthy, and culturally rich” can be achieved swiftly through multi‑stakeholder collaboration. At the close of the meeting, the task force agreed to form a joint inspection team to monitor the Ganga’s major water bodies over the next 3 months. Thus, under the Water Resources Minister’s chairmanship, the 20th meeting gave a new direction to the ongoing efforts for Ganga conservation.