GAP Full Form

GAP Full Form


Introduction

The Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate change originally proposed the Ganga Action Plan (GAP) to redirect, collect, reuse and recycle waste to enhance the quality of river water. It was implemented in 1986 to reduce pollution in the Ganga, but It was discontinued in 2000. Over the years, several projects have been started to address the Ganga River Pollution problem. However, the Ganga action plan was launched as a 100% centrally financed program. Government funds are used to support the Ganga Action Plan (GAP). Following this idea, the National River Ganga Basin Authority was established, and Ganga was designated a national river of India.

History of Ganga Action Plan
In 1985 the Ganga Actioin Plan, the first river action plan, was taken by the Ministry of Environment and Forests. Since then, the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP), which extended the programme to other large rivers in 1995, has allowed it to cover all of the nation’s major rivers. Due to development along river stretches, waste dumping, and other problems, water pollution has consistently worsened. The catastrophic condition of the Ganga River is a manifestation of this issue. Since the Ganga Action Plan’s (GAP) introduction 1985, efforts have been undertaken in this direction. The Government of India first proposed the nation of cleaning the Ganga River in 1979. Still, the Ganga Action Plan could not be started until 1985, following a thorough examination of tha Ganga by CPCB.

Overview of Ganga Action Plan

The ultimate aim of the Ganga Action Plan was to create an integrated river basin management strategy that considers the many dynamic connections between
abiotic and biotic ecosystems. The Ganga Action Plan is essential because-:
 

  • To reduce pollution in the Ganga River, the programme was launched. The
    Ganga Action Plan Programme was entirely funded by the federal government.
  • This tactic led to establishment of the National River Ganga Basin Board and the designation of Ganga as an Indian National river. Rajiv Gandhi oversaw the Ganga Action Plan. The Prime Minister and Chief Ministers of each state where the Ganga flows are in charge of the authority.
  • There are two phases in Ganga Action Plan. Phase I began in 1985 and encompassed the three states that were present at the time:U.P., West Bengal & Bihar.
  • Whereas Ganga Action Plan Phase-II was introduced in 1993, which includes the seven states of Uttarakhand, U.P., Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Haryana & Delhi.
  • The Ganga Action Plan for each tributary was developed in the II Phase. The II Phase of the same programme saw the beginning of the national river conservation strategy. Along with Yamuna, Gomti, Damodar & Mahananda, it also comprised Ganga tributaries.
  • The General planning and execution of GAP were delegated to the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). The Central Ganga Authority(CGA), led by the Indian Prime Minister, was created due to the Environment Protection Act of 1986.