The 12thedition of the Monthly Webinar Series with Universities ‘Igniting Young Minds: Rejuvenating River’was organized by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), Ministry of Jal Shakti in collaboration with APAC News Network. The theme of the webinar was ‘Public Participation’.
- ‘Jan Bhagidari’ or People’s Participation is One of the most important pillars of Namami Gange Mission: DG, NMCG
- Aim of webinar series is to connect with younger generation on the important issues of water conservation and river rejuvenation
- Various initiatives started by NMCG to link public participation with Ganga rejuvenation
- Arth Ganga project has been started, in which people-river is being established through the “bridge of economic”.
- Jan Bhagidari has ensure success of campaigns like Swachh Bharat Mission, Catch the Rain: Where it Falls, When it Falls etc.
- Natural Farming being promoted in the entire Ganga basin
Addressing the session, G. Asok Kumar said that public participation is the one of the most important pillars of the Namami Gange Mission. “As reiterated by the Prime Minister, Jal Andolan needs to be transformed into a Jan Andolan,” he said, adding, “The success of the campaigns like Swachh Bharat Mission, Catch the Rain: Where it Falls, When it Falls etc. has been ensured only because of public participation.”
He informed that initiatives like Ganga Utsav and Ganga Quest are being organized to increase public participation in Namami Gange Programme. He noted that about 2 lakh people participate in the Ganga Quest every year. At the same time, because of volunteers like Ganga Mitras, Ganga Doots, Ganga Praharis, we are able to connect the common people with the cause of Ganga Rejuvenation.
In line with the vision of Prime Minister, NMCG has started various initiatives to link public participation with Ganga rejuvenation. In this sequence, the Arth Ganga project has been started, in which people-river is being established through the “bridge of economic”. “To connect the farmers to this initiative, Natural Farming is being promoted in the Ganga basin. At the same time, through novel initiatives like Ghat Par Yoga, awareness is being created. Participation of more than 10 lakh people in Ghat Par Yoga initiative on the occasion of International Day of Yoga was a matter of satisfaction for us.”
Through Ganga Utsav, which was celebrated just four days ago, a large number of people have been able to connect with the river rejuvenation program.
He mentioned the monthly cleanliness drives conducted on the Yamuna ghats in Delhi on the 4thSaturday of every month and one other important day of the month has been receiving tremendous response from the people and the local urban bodies.
Najeeb Ahsan, Senior Communication Manager, NMCG shared his experiences and insights on public participation in his tenure with NMCG. Speaking from his vast experience of 25 years in the sector, he noted how with the infrastructural support, we also need community participation for the sustenance of these initiatives. Citing examples of polio eradication programs, public participation has played a crucial role for a high success rate of these initiatives.
He noted that Jan Ganga is an important component of the Namami Gange program. “Jan Ganga became an extremely important element as it catered to the people-river connect and for the first time, connected individuals from all walks of life towards one cause,” he said, adding, “NMCG is not just working with a particular volunteer group, but with different groups working on different levels to cater to the needs of different social groups and maximize the reach of this cause.”
He highlighted the activities initiated by people which points toward increased public participation and awareness towards river rejuvenation. Through activities like Ghat Par Yoga, Ganga and Yamuna Artis, a transformation has been brought about within the local communities, as seen in widespread public support for this program.
He stressed upon the importance of continued participation as river rejuvenation is not a time-bound project and has to be continued for a longer duration. This requires continued community support and calls for individuals and communities to take responsibilities of their local water bodies.
He said that only through this, we would be able to sustain this progress for a longer period of time. He ended his address by giving a clarion call to individual as well community stakeholders to actively participate in this program and work towards a positive change for the future.
Dr. Vikas Singh, Vice Chancellor, Geeta University, Panipat, spoke about the importance of water management. He mentioned new ways of irrigation to improve efficiency of water usage.
The usage of recycled water should be increased, he noted, as it will reduce our dependence on portable water. He said that 5-7% of dependency on industrial water can be replaced by domestic water. With more emphasis on recycled water, the net requirement of portable water gets reduced. He also said that to successfully clean Ganga, we need to also focus on its tributaries. He mentioned how industrial and domestic waste are polluting the rivers and through the Global Positioning System, we can map the waste going into our water bodies.
The Webinar was presided over by G. Asok Kumar, Director General, NMCG. The panellists of the webinar included Dr. Vikas Singh, Vice Chancellor, Geeta University, Panipat, Najeeb Ahsan, Senior Communication Manager, NMCG and students of IMS Unison University- Vedant Sharma and Yukta Arora.
The aim of the webinar series is to connect with the younger generation on the important issues of water conservation and river rejuvenation.
