The government is planning to sell online the water from river Ganga, considered holy by many Hindus. Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad today said he has ordered the postal department to provide the Ganga water from Haridwar and Rishikesh to people.

"We would get requests by a vast network of people that the Ganga jal be made available to the people. I learnt it on field visits. I have directed my department to provide for a network using e-commerce platform so that people of India can get 'shudh' (pure) Ganga jal from Haridwar and Rishikesh. We assure you all that we will take proactive steps to address the cultural needs of the people of India," Prasad said.

Last year, the postal department had sold water from Godavari, sourced during the auspicious Pushkaram period. According to Hindu traditions, Pushkaram is celebrated at shrines along the banks of 12 major rivers considered sacred in India.

Clean Ganga by 2018, says Uma Bharti

Ganga, considered one of the 10 most polluted rivers in the world, will become one of the cleanest by 2018, Union minister Uma Bharti had said last week. Lamenting that the river has often been used as a gateway to disposing affluents, Bharti exuded confidence that it would be transformed into the "10 most clean rivers in the world by 2018."

Participating at an event to mark two years in office of the NDA government, Bharti said the government is seriously working for Ganga rejuvenation and claimed that what could not be achieved in the past 29 years after spending Rs 4,000 crore was taking place now. The Union minister said funds are not an issue and the Centre is contributing sufficient funds to ensure that the target of 2018 is not missed.

Bharti had earlier assured the Lok Sabha that she would announce on the floor of the House in 2018 that the river has been rejuvenated.