The annual ‘Ganga Utsav 2021-The River Festival’ was organized virtually on November 1-3 by National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) to mark the anniversary of announcement of River Ganga as the ‘National River’ i.e. November 4th.
- This year 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.
- Note- River Ganga was declared as the National River of India on November 4, 2008.
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)
Objective of River Festival:
i.To promote stakeholder engagement and ensure public participation under the aegis of the Ganga Knowledge Center as NMCG targets strengthening of the public – river connect.
ii.To highlight the significance of ‘Jan Bhagidari’ in the revival of Ganga.
Key Points:
- 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 along other major rivers.
ii.The message of river rejuvenation was communicated through stories at Kahani Junction organised by Rituparna Gosh’s Yourstorybag.
iii.Continuous Learning and Activity Portal (CLAP- http://www.clap4ganga.com/) in partnership with TREE Craze Foundation was also launched at the Utsav. It is especially for children and youth for continuous year-round engagement.
iv.There was also a launch of the promo of the movie ‘Ganga: River from the Skies’ which was followed by a webinar.
v.An expedition ‘Ganga Mashal’ led by the Ganga Task Force was flagged off in a ceremony from Delhi and will travel the route including 23 stations along the river Ganga which will help sensitization of the local people and bodies like NYKS (Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan), Ganga Mitras, Ganga Praharis etc.
vi.The event also saw the launch of the Ganga Tarang Portal, curtain raiser on Ganga Knowledge Portal, among others.
Launch of Books:
During the event, there was also a launch books titled ‘Celebrating the Spirits of Rivers’ and ‘Ganga Ki Baat Chacha Chaudhary ke Saath’ were launched to spread awareness about preserving the Ganga.
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, Uttar Pradesh (UP).
- It documents the changes in River Ganga over the past 5-6 decades in terms of channel morphology, land use & land cover, river dynamics and associated issues. A 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 gets registered in Guinness Book of World Records
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.
Participants:
Minister of Tourism and Culture Gangapuram Kishan Reddy, Ministers of State for Jal Shakti, Prahalad Singh Patel & Shri Bishweswar Tudu, famous writer and poet Ashok Chakradhar, Olympic players, among others
Recent Related News:
NMCG & South Asian Institute for Advanced Research & Development (SAIARD ) signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for creating an academic platform for researchers and young minds and to boost Research and Developing capacity building hubs in the eastern region.
About National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG):
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 Ganges and its tributaries.
Director General– Rajiv Ranjan Mishra
Headquarters– Delhi
