Narendra Modi brings ‘Swachh Bharat’ campaign to Varanasi, cleans Assi Ghat

The other seven persons who have been nominated by Modi to lead the campaign include cricketer Mohammad Kaif, who had contested Lok Sabha election on Congress ticket from Phulpur had lost election to BJP candidate Keshav Prasad Maurya,  BJP MP and Bhojpuri singer Manoj Tiwari, TV  actor and comedian Raju Srivastava, singer Kailask Kher, Padmashree Professor Devi Prasad Dwivedi, author of ‘Krishna Ki Atmkatha’ Manu Sharma and Chancellor of Handicapped University of Chitrakoot Jagatguru Rambhadracharya.

Modi has appealed these nine persons to take ahead the cleanliness campaign and ask each of them to nominate nine other persons for the same cause.

Modi announced these names after starting cleanliness campaign at Assi ghat and removed silt using spade. Modi removed silt for nearly six minutes in presence of other BJP leaders and officials of district administration. Modi said, “The drive to clean this ghat has started today and various social organizations have assured that the entire ghat will get cleaned within a month. I have nominated nine members to continue the campaign as I had done same while launching the drive in Delhi.”

Earlier, Modi reached the ghat at 8:40 am and offered prayer to Ganga in presence of six priests who recited mantras for PM.

A senior official of Varanasi municipal corporation told The Indian Express that nearly 60-feet high slit had got collected at Assi ghat after rise in water level of Ganga in last monsoon season but around 20-feet silt had been removed in two months. “Silt is still there upto a height of 40-feet from last stair of the ghat. That can be removed if more than 1000 labourers works there with mules daily for six months. Heavy machines like JCB could not be used in that area of riverside,” official said.  Official said that silt gets collected there after every rainy season.  Official said that there would be nearly 40,000 trucks of silt that has covered the stairs of ghat.

“Municipal Corporation had recently invited people to collect that silt if they need for any work like pottery. But no body turned up,” official said.

Assi is the only ghat where silt is lying but it was cleaned from other municipal waste because devotees had to prayers there on Dev Deepawali on two days back.

Modi later visited Mata Anandmai Hospital in Shivala Bhadeni area and garlanded statue of Mata Anandmai there. Then he moved to airport to leave for Delhi.

IN PICTURES: The Ganga in Varanasi; One river, multiple facets

The river Ganga in the holy city Varanasi calls artists, sages, musicians and painters who are in quenches their thirst for knowledge. (Source: Express photo by Swati Chandra)

A vast Dhobi ghat operational near Harishchandra ghat, despite the fact that use of soap and detergent is banned in the river. (Source: Express photo by Swati Chandra)

The Assi nullah, once a tributary of river Ganga, carries township sewage of thousands of homes having unplanned sewage line, enters in river Ganga near Ravidas Ghat. (Source: Express photo by Swati Chandra)

This is how river looks like in its southern stretch. (Source: Express photo by Swati Chandra)

More interesting is the fact that, the river flows from South to North in Varanasi. (Source: Express photo by Swati Chandra)

River Ganga not just has spiritual and religious significance. It also nourishes a population of over 450 million. (Source: Express photo by Swati Chandra)

Hindus consider this as one of the holiest places; they offer prayers to the river and the sun. (Source: Express photo by Swati Chandra)

People from far-off places come here to find peace and nirvana. (Source: Express photo by Swati Chandra)

Apart from Assi nullah, around 5-6 big streams and hundreds of small stream unplanned sewage lines dispose waste. (Source: Express photo by Swati Chandra)

The location Mir Ghat. (Source: Express photo by Swati Chandra)

Limestone and other chemicals deposited on the side of the river at prominent Mir Ghat. (Source: Express photo by Swati Chandra)

Several NGOs and independent people seem to be working for the cleanliness of the river, (Source: Express photo by Swati Chandra)

The same place at Rajendra Prasad Ghat in Varanasi from where former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi launched the Ganga Action Plan in 1986. (Source: Express photo by Swati Chandra)

The 28 years of the project, no attention was paid on checking direct disposal of sewage and other pollutants in Ganga from the trans-Ganga townships. (Source: Express photo by Swati Chandra)