KJ SIMSR Horizon Dec - 2014 issue Dec 2014 | Page 25

MINDSHARE
to Kanpur during the war in 1857 and over the years
the waterways become dysfunctional. The five
countries that share the Rhine river spend about
$50 billion on communal and industrial wastewater treatment. In 2007 China vowed to spend
more than $14 billion on lake Tai, its third largest
freshwater Lake. The global experience shows that
the problem of cleaning Ganga can be solved,
subject to right leadership, autonomy and
professional management for river basin
organizations. In 1985, Ganga Action Plan (GAP)
phase-I was launched followed by Ganga Action
Plan phase-II initiated in 1993 and the setting up of
National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) in
2009. Although a sum of Rs. 7000 crores was
approved in 2011 for cleaning Ganga Project but
only Rs 1825 crores was spent in the cleaning the
Ganga between 1985 to 2009 in phases. The World
Bank since 2011 has been providing finance and
technical assistance to the government of India
through the National Ganga River Basin Project. In
the present budget the government has made
allocation of Rs. 2037 crore in the current fiscal
year alone to start an integrated Ganga
conservation mission in addition to separate
funding ofRs, 100 crore for ghat development and
beautification at six religious places. Further Rs.
4200 crores is slated to be spent over a span of six

years for developing a navigation corridor from
Allahabad to Haldia.
The present government in an affidavit to the
Supreme Court informed that a sum of Rs. 51000
crore will be spent in the next five years to
completely stop discharge of untreated sewer and
waste water from 118 towns into Ganga river. The
apex court is keen to ensure compliance with
proposed plans but the members of the industrial
associations along the river said it will be difficult
with the center's demand to achieve zero level
liquid discharge. Engaging and mobilizing all
stakeholders together its religious leaders and the
people who value it as a cleaner river must be a
part of development and successful clean-up
programme. In Australia, the Murray Darling Basin
Authority is an evidence of this kind of solid work. In
cleaning the Ganga we are not planning to
transform Varanasi into Kyoto in Japan but
Varanasi keeps its focus on what it needs rather
than carried away by Kyoto's success. As George
Black in his book on the history and culture of the
Ganges writes that if Modi can actually cleanse
Maa Ganga of our innumerable human sins, there
will be plenty of Indians ready to elect him the
Prime-Minister for life.

Dr. Radhakrishnan Pillai kicks off “GuruSpeak”
“A man is great by deeds, not by birth” - Chanakya

On the very auspicious occasion of Teacher's
Day, Retail Lab, SIMSR invited Dr. Radhakrishnan
Pillai for the inauguration of its maiden annual
event “GURUSPEAK”.
Apart from being the author of the bestseller
“Corporate Chanakya”, Dr. Pillai is also the
Founder-director of Chanakya Institute of Public
Leadership (CIPL) and the recipient of the very
prestigious Sardar Patel International Award
(2009), for his research and contribution in the field
of Management and Industrial Development.
Dr. Radhakrishnan Pillai with Team Retail Lab

Being an expert on the teachings of the greatest
teacher this country has ever seen - Chanakya; Dr.
Pillai delivered an enriching lecture on how those
same principles can be applied today and the
relevance that they hold in present day business
situations. Stressing on the importance of being
numero uno in our chosen fields, he cited examples

from the Arthashastra itself about the qualities that
a good leader should possess. Drawing a parallel
between the grand kings of yester years and the
star CEOs of our generation, the lecture was a
treasure trove of knowledge and immense
comprehension.

December 2014

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