New Delhi, Dec 11 (PTI) Passion and people combined can make the administration work towards river rejuvenation, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said on Friday.

Speaking at the 5th India Water Impact Summit 2020, he said sustainable human settlements are needed for the conservation of rivers.

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Rivers, particularly in India, are a symbol of faith, hope, culture and sanity as well as a source of livelihood for millions, Kant said.

Emphasising on community participation, he said, "Data and numbers are not sufficient, what is needed is passion among people for rivers. Passion and people combined can make the administration work towards river rejuvenation."

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Kant also observed that Namami Gange, the mission to clean the Ganga river, has been successful in making a positive impact with its multi-sectoral approach.

Sharing the National Mission for Clean Ganga's (NMCG) vision to not only work towards making the present river-cities sensitive towards rivers but also to ensure that these problems are not repeated as India continues to urbanise rapidly, Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, Director General, NMCG, said, "We are working to integrate the Urban River Planning and Urban Water Management Plan in the cities' master plans and the new master plan for Delhi under preparation would be made."

Professor Vinod Tare, the founding head of cGanga, said river conservation and development are two sides of the same coin.

He suggested that local water bodies should be managed by the locals and they should cater to local needs. This will generate local employment and reduce the cost of transporting water, he said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)