The longest and the most sacred river in India, Ganga has been a life-giver for centuries. It is known by several names including Jahnavi, Jatashankari, Gange, Shubhra, Sapteshwari, Bhagirathi, Alaknanda, and Vishnupadi.
It provides water to over 40% of India&rsquos population for various purposes and as a river-system, it is the lifeline of the country. Over the decades, however, due to increased human activity and industrial waste disposal, Ganga has been getting hugely polluted and to make it regain its health, concentrated efforts are regularly commissioned under the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) initiative.
This year, the NMCG celebrated Ganga Utsav from 1st to 3rd November with the objective of promoting stakeholder engagement and increase public participation under the umbrella of Ganga Knowledge Centre.
This year, NMCG intends to spread the spirit of Ganga Utsav to various other river basins in India and promote the celebration of Nadi Utsav (River Festival) which was a key statement made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on World River Day on 26th September 2021.
NMCG, in association with Tree Craze Foundation, has developed a programme called Continuous Learning and Activity Portal (CLAP). Launched by Union Jal Shakti minister, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, this interactive platform enables conversations and collective action around the rivers in India. It&rsquoll also be used to facilitate debates and discussions on issues that threaten the environment, water, rivers etc. On the launch event of CLAP, Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, Director General, NMCG, urged people to not only enjoy the Ganga Utsav but also become messengers and doers for rejuvenating the rivers.
There was a great feat achieved by NMCG on the first day of the Ganga Utsav. It got registered in the Guinness Book of World Record for most photos of handwritten notes uploaded on Facebook in one hour. The activity was organised to raise awareness on Ganga Rejuvenation and to give impetus to the reach of Ganga Utsav.
Union Jal Shakti Minister, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, also launched the &lsquoGanga Atlas River of the Past&rsquo developed by Prof Rajiv Sinha of IIT Kanpur. The atlas documents the changes in Ganga over the past 5-6 decades in terms of channel morphology, land use & land cover, river dynamics and associated issues. As part of this research project funded by NMCG, IIT Kanpur has also developed a workflow that allows users to process and analyze declassified imagery of riverine environments at minimal cost and using open source software.
NMCG is also undertaking an expedition called &lsquoGanga Mashal&rsquo that will travel through 23 stations along the river Ganga to help sensitisation of the local people and bodies like NYKS, Ganga Mitras, Ganga Praharis among others. There&rsquos also a documentary titled &lsquoGanga the River from the Skies&rsquo by well-known wildlife film maker, Mike Pandey, that captures the beautiful voyage of Ganga through a mosaic of cultures and traditions.