DEHRADUN, Nov 4 : Union Minister for Jal Shakti C R Patil on Monday inaugurated the eighth edition of Ganga Utsav on the banks of the river at Chandi Ghat in Haridwar, describing it as a symbol of the faith of crores of Indians.
The eighth edition of the event held every year was the first to be held on the banks of the river with celebrations extending across 139 districts in the Ganga basin states.
Each state hosted a main event organised by District Ganga Committees.
The primary aim of the festival is to promote conservation of the river, emphasise its cultural and spiritual importance and raise public awareness about cleanliness.
Minister of State for Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Chaudhary, Uttarakhand Minister for Women and Child Welfare Rekha Arya and Secretary of the Ministry of Jal Shakti Debashree Mukherjee were also present on the occasion.
Ganga Utsav 2024 is organised by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) to mark the anniversary of declaring the Ganga River as the national river.
Speaking on the occasion, Patil shared Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message that the Ganga benefits 600 million people of this country, is revered as a mother and it gives selflessly without taking.
Patil said revering rivers as mothers is deeply rooted in the Indian culture and conserving the Ganga is a noble initiative envisioned by the prime minister.
Upon becoming prime minister, Modi said “Maa Ganga has called me”, Patil recalled and said since then, he has shown unwavering commitment to raising awareness and rallying public support for the conservation of the Ganga.
Patil also flagged off Ganga Women Rafting Expedition. The 50-day long expedition will conclude at Ganga Sagar traversing through nine major cities and towns across the Ganga River.
The historic expedition will coincide with various activities organised across several districts in the five key states of the Ganga basin. He also felicitated the BSF River Rafting team on the occasion.
Speaking at the event, Union minister Choudhary said the Ganga Utsav is a unique festival dedicated to river conservation, with many activities planned to promote the conservation and cleanliness of the Ganga. He emphasised that rivers are not just sources of water but also “sacred and deeply significant, especially Maa Ganga, which unites us all”.
Under PM Modi’s leadership, efforts are underway to ensure the cleanliness and conservation of the river, he said.
Through the Namami Gange initiative, Rs 7,144 crore has been sanctioned in Bihar for 39 Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), with 17 already completed. Conservation efforts are also focused on Ganga’s tributaries, he said.
These projects are essential for conserving Maa Ganga, a river with rich historical and cultural significance and help in driving national development through conservation of rivers, he added. (PTI)
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