Immersions and bathing contribute to Hooghly pollution. A Telegraph picture

A nudge from the high court has prompted the state government to draw up a two-pronged action plan to save the Ganga from filth — launch an immediate clean-up drive and set up an authority that will guard the river against pollution.

The clean-up drive, which will also cover the ghats, will be kicked off on February 18 and will continue till June, environment secretary M.L. Meena said on Thursday.

“Common people, as well as the stakeholders, will be involved in the drive, to be called Nirmal Ganga Awareness Programme,” he added.

Backing the mission, transport minister Subhas Chakraborty will flag off around 50 launches, on an awareness cruise, at Barrackpore on February 18. Municipal affairs minister Asok Bhattacharya has written to the heads of all civic bodies on the shores to make the mission a success.

“The day will also see a padayatra from Millennium Park to spread awareness about the need to curb pollution of the river,” said mayoral council member Faiyaz Ahmed Khan.

Meena said the government has accepted the recommendation of a high court-appointed committee to constitute a river management authority, which will look after the part of the Ganga flowing through the state.

The environment secretary heads the panel set up to suggest ways to fight Ganga pollution.

“We will soon inform the court about the development,” said Biswajit Mukherjee, senior law officer in the environment department and member-convener of the committee.

The Telegraph had reported, quoting from the findings of the National River Conservation Plan, that pollution in the Bengal stretch of the river has increased so much that several spots have become unsafe for bathing. The stretch around Calcutta was found to be most polluted.