Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has said the sale of non-vegetarian foods and liquor will be totally banned near religious places and in the holy towns on the banks of the Narmada.
Yadav took the decision at a meeting with the cabinet committee on the overall development of the Narmada on Friday.
Sewage water should not be released into the river from any residential area located in Amarkantak, where the Narmada originates, and other places through which the river passes, he said. For this, a plan should be prepared within a time limit and carried out, he added.
Yadav said new technology should be used to dispose of solid waste. A decision was also taken to set up a satellite city in an area far away from the point of origin of the river.
In Amarkantak, all the work related to the Narmada will be done through the Amarkantak Development Authority.
In the meeting, it was also decided that all activities around the Narmada and in nearby areas will be monitored with the help of drones and satellite imagery.
Yadav said machines should not be used for any kind of digging in the river.
The Chief Minister said a campaign should be launched to encourage farmers to practice organic farming within five kilometers on both sides of the Narmada. The path for Parikrama (circumambulation) of the river should be developed to help those who circumambulate the river.
The Narmada is the only river in the world around which people circumambulate, he said, adding that the infrastructure on the Parikrama path should be improved. Such work should be done through the village Panchayats, too, he added.
Yadav said those who perform Parikrama around the river should be provided with proper food and lodging, and youths should be encouraged to develop homestays.
Other than government agencies, voluntary organizations, spiritual outfits, religious Gurus, and the common man should be included in Narmada development work, Yadav said.
