Using Organic Farming to Keep Ganga Clean
The Uttar Pradesh government is promoting organic farming and afforestation along the banks of the river Ganga under the ambitious Arth Ganga project launched by the Prime Minister of India. The river passes through 27 districts of the state and the plan is to promote organic farming and afforestation within a 10-kilometre radius on both banks in all the districts. This step is being undertaken to reduce the inflow of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, as under organic farming, chemical fertilizers and pesticides are replaced by organic products that do not harm the environment. Organic farming has huge potential throughout the region as the soil of the Gangetic plain changes every year owing to floods. Further, in the following six months, the government plans to afforest 6,759 hectares of land along the Ganga’s banks, divided across 503 locations in the several districts where the river passes by. This will not only assist to enhance tree cover in these areas but will also help to reduce soil erosion and flood severity