Call to check industrial pollution in Ganga

New Delhi, Aug 21 (IANS) The water resources, river development and Ganga rejuvenation ministry and the environment, forests and climate change ministry Thursday said they will jointly check industrial pollution of the Ganga river.

This was decided in a meeting Thursday between Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti and Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar, a statement said.

The ministers will check industrial pollution of the Ganga to ensure protection of its bio-diversity and habitat including natural species in the upper reaches of the river.

It was also decided that both the ministries will strictly follow the ban on various activities on the 130-km stretch on the river from Gomukh to Uttarkashi.

Online monitoring of treatment of industrial waste will begin in six months.

New guidelines will also be issued to ensure scientific and sustainable sand-mining.