Setting up his top three agendas after taking charge of the ministry, Gadkari had declared that his department, in coordination with ministries of water resources, urban development, forest and environment, industry, tourism and power, was exploring the possibility of a waterway on Gangotri-Kanpur-Allahabad-Kolkata route for cargo and passenger movement.

But the presence of tortoise sanctuary in a 7 km stretch of the Ganga between Ramnagar Fort and Malviya Bridge could prove a hurdle in executing the plans of the newly formed NDA government at the Centre. This stretch of Ganga was declared Tortoise Sanctuary on December 21, 1989 under the Ganga Action Plan launched in 1986. The Wild Life (Conservation) Act 1972 restricts sand mining or any other activity that violates its norm in the sanctuary area.

Though the local administration is making efforts to shift the sanctuary beyond the city limit, it is still in nascent stage. District magistrate Pranjal Yadav, who initiated an exercise on river mapping and shifting the sanctuary, met the chief minister recently with the progress report. The DM admitted that it is still in initial stage. According to sources, the work done by the district administration would be first examined by the chief wildlife warden. Before reaching the Central Empowered Committee appointed by the Supreme Court, it would have to pass through the State Wildlife Advisory Board and National Wildlife Board.

To begin the exercise, the DM had formed a committee comprising engineers and officials of different departments like Central Water Commission, PWD, irrigation, Varanasi Municipal Corporation, Varanasi Development Authority and forest, the committee also comprises experts from civil engineering department of Indian Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University.

The increasing height of sand bed on the opposite bank of the river also started threatening the riverfront that has an unbroken chain of magnificent ghats. It causes increasing depth of river on the Ghat side and erosion under the stone steps of sprawling ghats that poses a serious threat to historic buildings. River scientist UK Choudhary warned that a major portion of riverfront in Manikarnika Ghat area would cave in if no remedial measure is taken urgently. The pressure on the ghats could be ease by removing the sand deposited along the opposite bank.

But, according to forest officials, the shifting of tortoise sanctuary is not possible in the present framework. A tortoise-breeding centre was also created in Sarnath and so far over 35,000 tortoises were reared and released into the Ganga.

But, it is also a fact that all types of prohibited activities could be seen in the protected zone like motorized boat operation, cattle washing, discharge of sewage and linen washing along the ghats.

An ambitious project of UP Tourism, cruising in Ganga between Varanasi and Allahabad could not be materialized due to the sanctuary. A luxury vessel was arranged for ferrying between Varanasi and Allahabad and other tourist destinations like Vindhyachal, Mirzapur and Chunar but the project was dropped in 2003 because of the objection of the forest department. The first tourist cruise from Haldia (West Bengal) was not allowed to move further in October 2009 and was stopped at Khidkiya ghat as the motor-operated boats could not operate in this stretch as per environment law.