Lucknow, Apr 6 (IANS): Cities situated on the banks of River Ganga in Uttar Pradesh will now witness increased social and economic activities.

Working on the central government's 'Ghat Pe Haat' scheme, the Yogi Adityanath government has decided to develop the banks of the river for tourism.

Principal secretary of Uttar Pradesh Tourism, Mukesh Meshram, said: "Since this state is home to the biggest part of Ganga and a number of religiously important cities fall on this stretch, we look forward to making the most of this opportunity. A team of competent officers and experts is already working on the proposal demanded by the Namami Gange authorities."

Officials at Namami Gange informed that the idea is to build or beautify about 164 ghats across all the cities, besides encouraging farmers to take up natural farming along the river.

The plan also includes formation of District Ganga Committees to address all issues related to the river.

Weekly markets may be allowed on these ghats which will be maintained and cleaned regularly by the committees in place. This will be done with the idea of promoting economic activity along the river.

Meshram said: "In addition to its religious importance, scripted in epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata, Ganga is also a repository of stories, myths and legends besides being witness to history in several ways. This makes it a natural magnet for tourism purposes. We aim to translate this energy into a carefully curated experience."

Officials insist beneficiary states have started working on the idea.

The scheme also covers more than two dozen cities across Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal along the 2,520 km long stretch of the Ganga river.

The river conservation is promoted along with development of economic and employment opportunities along the river so that conservation becomes a way of life.