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Ganga Utsav 2021

Posted on November 2, 2021 by admin1  665

In Context 

  • National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) celebrates 4th November as Ganga Utsav every year to mark the anniversary of the announcement of River Ganga as the ‘National River’ on 4th November 2008.
    • Since 2016, every year the National Mission for Clean Ganga has been celebrating Ganga Utsav on November 4.

About 

  • Ganga Utsav 2021  will be part of the ongoing celebrations for 75 years of Independence and Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
  • Aim: 
    • To connect masses to the cause of river rejuvenation and sensitive them about ecological issues through conversations and entertainment.
  • Highlights of the programme: 
    • The Utsav celebrates the mystical and cultural river Ganga through storytelling, folklore, dialogues with eminent personalities, quizzes, displaying traditional art forms, dance and music performances by renowned artists, photo galleries and exhibitions and much more. 
  • Initiatives launched : 
    • Continuous Learning and Activity Portal (CLAP):
      • It is developed by NMCG in association with Tree Craze Foundation was launched by the Union minister for Jal Shakti.
        • It is also funded and supported by World Bank. This is an interactive portal that is working towards initiating conversations and action around the rivers in India. 
    • ‘Ganga Mashal’ and field volunteers:
      • 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, Ganga Mitras, Ganga Praharis etc. 
    • Ganga Tarang Portal: 
  • The event will also comprise, the launch of the Ganga Tarang Portal, curtain-raiser on Ganga Knowledge Portal and many more.
  • Guinness Book of World Records activity was organised to raise awareness on Ganga Rejuvenation and to give impetus to the reach of Ganga Utsav – the River Festival 2021. 
  • NMCG wins Guinness Book of World Records during Ganga Utsav.
  • Ganga Atlas developed by IIT Kanpur Launched during Ganga Utsav Jal Shakti Minister
  • The Utsav also includes the launch of the promo of the movie ‘Ganga: River from the Skies’.

About Ganga River System

  • Origin: It rises from the Gangotri glacier near Gaumukh (3,900 m) in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. Here, it is known as the Bhagirathi. 
    • At Devprayag, the Bhagirathi meets the Alaknanda, then after, it is known as the Ganga. The Alaknanda has its source in the Satopanth glacier above Badrinath.
  • Tributaries: The Ramganga, the Gomati, the Ghaghara, the Gandak, the Kosi and the Mahanada. 
    • The river finally discharges itself into the Bay of Bengal near Sagar Island.
  • The river basin is bounded by the Himalayas on the north, by the Aravalli on the west, by the Vindhyas and Chota Nagpur plateau on the south and by the Brahmaputra Ridge on the east.
  • The basin covers the states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. 

  • Significance:
  • River Ganga holds significant economic, environmental and cultural value in India.
  • The Ganga Basin supports numerous diverse ecosystems, from the alpine forests near Gaumukh to the plains of northern India to the mangrove forests and saline mudflats of West Bengal.
  • The mouth of River Ganga forms the world’s largest delta, known as Sunderbans, and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997.

Source: PIB

 
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