Haridwar: Union Minister for Jal Shakti, C R Patil, inaugurated the eighth edition of Ganga Utsav 2024 at Chandi Ghat, Haridwar, in the esteemed presence of Minister of State for Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Chaudhary and Uttarakhand Minister for Women & Child Welfare Rekha Arya. The event, organized by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), marks the anniversary of the Ganga River’s designation as the National River and aims to promote its conservation while emphasizing its cultural and spiritual significance.
For the first time, the event was hosted on the riverbank and extended across 139 districts in states within the Ganga basin. Each state conducted main events facilitated by District Ganga Committees.
Union Minister C R Patil highlighted the Prime Minister’s commitment to Ganga conservation, sharing, “The Ganga benefits 600 million people and is revered as a mother. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, upon taking office, stated, ‘Maa Ganga has called me,’ underscoring his dedication to the river’s preservation.” Patil also emphasized the importance of Jal Sanchay, Jan Bhagidari (water conservation and public participation), noting the construction of rainwater harvesting structures to bolster conservation efforts.
A significant part of the festival included Ganga Samvad, a session where spiritual leaders discussed river conservation. Patil also flagged off the Ganga Women Rafting Expedition, a 50-day journey concluding at Ganga Sagar and passing through nine major towns along the Ganga. He also felicitated the BSF River Rafting team for their contributions.
Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Raj Bhushan Choudhary, reiterated the importance of river conservation, stating, “Ganga Utsav is a unique festival highlighting the sacred nature of rivers, particularly Maa Ganga, which holds immense cultural significance.” He pointed to the Namami Gange initiative, which sanctioned ₹7,144 crore for 39 sewage treatment projects in Bihar, with 17 completed so far, and noted ongoing efforts to protect the river’s tributaries.
Adding to the event’s activities, Choudhary flagged off the National Book Trust (NBT) bus, which will traverse ten major cities in five riparian states, showcasing literature under the theme ‘Ganges through the Ages: A Literary Bioscope’.
This year’s Ganga Utsav saw participation from members of the River City Alliance, representing 145 river cities nationwide with the aim of fostering river-sensitive urban planning. The festival also featured interactive activities such as a Ghat Par Haat market, children’s competitions, magic and puppet shows, street plays on river awareness, and an exhibition on the Namami Gange initiative.