Clean Ganga Programme | National Mission for Clean Ganga | Clean Ganga Mission | Ganga Cleaning Projects | Ganga Cleaning Programme 2022
The annual ‘Ganga Utsav 2021 – The River Festival’ was organized virtually on November 1-3 by National Mission for Clean Ganga [NNCG] to mark the anniversary of the announcement of River Ganga as the ‘National River’ i.e. November 4th.
- This year [2021] marked the 5th edition of the festival which was celebrated under the leadership of Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Ministry of Jal Shakti, as a part of the ongoing celebrations for 75 years of Independence and Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
- It should be noted that the 2021 World River Day [4th Sunday of September] was celebrated on September 26.
Aim of River Festival 2021
To take Ganga Utsav 2021 to the various river basins in India and promote the celebration of ‘Nadi Utsav’ [River Festival].
Objectives of the River Festival
- To promote stakeholder engagement and ensure public participation under the aegis of the Ganga knowledge centre as NMCG targets the strengthening of the public-river connect.
- To highlight the significance of ‘Jan Bhagidari’ in the revival of the Ganga.
Key points Clean Ganga Programme
- At the state level, 75 events at 75 different locations were held. Also, activities were held across 150 districts viz. 112 in the Ganga belt and the remaining ones along other major rivers.
- The message of the river rejuvenation was communicated through stories at Kahani Junction organised by Rituparana Gosh’s Yours story bag.
- Continuous Learning and Activity Portal in partnership with TREE Craze Foundation was also launched at the Utsav. It is especially for children and youth for continuous year-round engagement.
- There was also a launch of the promo of the movie ‘Ganga: River from the Skies’ which was followed by a webinar.
Launch of Ganga Atlas Developed by IIT Kanpur Uttar Pradesh
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat launched the ‘Ganga Atlas: River of the Past’ developed by Prof. Rajiv Sinha, IIT Kanpur, UP.
It documents the changes in River Ganga over the past 5-6 decades in terms of channel morphology, land use and land cover, river dynamics and associated issues.
It may also be mentioned that NMCG also got registered in the Guinness Book of World Records on the first day of the Ganga Utsav 2021 for most photos of handwritten notes uploaded to Facebook in one hour.
It may also be noted that the National Mission for Clean Ganga [NMCG] under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, is a society registered on 12th August 2011 under the Societies Registration Act 1860. It acts as the implementation arm of the National Ganga River Basin Authority [NGRBA].
Aim: to clean the Ganga and its tributaries.