New Delhi, Nov 4 : Union Minister for Jal Shakti C.R. Patil on Monday inaugurated Ganga Utsav 2024 at Chandi Ghat in Haridwar.

On the occasion, Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Choudhary, Uttarakhand Minister for Women & Child Welfare Rekha Arya and Secretary of the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Debashree Mukherjee were also present.

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. The primary aim of this festival is to promote the conservation of the Ganga River, emphasise its cultural and spiritual importance, and raise public awareness about cleanliness.

The eighth edition of the event was the first to be held on the riverbank, with celebrations extending across 139 districts in the Ganga basin states. Each state hosted a main event organised by District Ganga Committees.

Speaking at the event, Union Minister for Jal Shakti C R Patil shared the Prime Minister's message that the Ganga benefits 600 million people of this country and revered as a mother, it gives selflessly without taking.

Patil emphasised that revering rivers as mothers is deeply rooted in our culture and conserving the river is a noble initiative that we all must ensure.

He recalled that, upon becoming Prime Minister, Narendra Modi expressed that 'Maa Ganga has called me.' Since then, the Prime Minister has shown unwavering commitment to raising awareness and rallying public support for the conservation of Maa Ganga.

Union Minister Patil noted that Prime Minister's Jal Sanchay, Jan Bhagidari initiative has gained widespread support, with people actively participating in the cause. Rainwater harvesting structures are being constructed across states to store water.

He emphasised that Jan Samarthan (public support) is essential for conserving Maa Ganga, as it requires a collective, holistic effort from everyone.

The Union Minister also interacted and had a discussion with spiritual leaders and gurus present in the Utsav under a session titled Ganga Samvad. Speaking at the session, Patil emphasised river conservation and rejuvenation and urged everyone to spread awareness about this to save Maa Ganga.

Patil flagged off the 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. This 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.

On the occasion, Union Minister of State Raj Bhushan Choudhary said that 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. 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.

Raj Bhushan Choudhary also flagged off the National Book Trust (NBT) Bus as part of Ganga Utsav 2024. The NBT bus with literature regarding river Ganga carries out 'Ganga Pustak Parikrama' with the theme 'Ganges through the ages: A Literary Bioscope'. The bus will travel through major 10 cities in the five riparian states along the Ganga River basin.

This year's event saw participation from several river cities under the River City Alliance, an organisation that now includes 145 river cities nationwide. The alliance's main objective is to promote healthy urban rivers through an integrated approach to river-sensitive urban planning.

Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Raj Bhushan Choudhary and other dignitaries also participated in Ganga Arti.

/IANS