River cleanliness mission: Atulya Ganga team reaches Prayagraj

PRAYAGRAJ : The Mundama Ganga Parikrama (MGP), an initiative by Indian Army veterans for river cleanliness and plantation drive under phase II of Atulya Ganga clean mission, reached Prayagraj on Saturday after undertaking Ganga parikrama of 3000 km in 100 days.

The team had kicked off 6,000km walkathon from Prayagraj on December 16 last to spread awareness about clean rivers and the need to let them flow naturally. The teams aims to complete the journey in eight months.

Giving this information, team leader and a former military engineer Gopal Sharma said the love of the people living on the banks of the Ganga was doubling the team’s morale.

“The ex-servicemen are determined to complete this adventurous journey and will continue through the cities, villages, plains, crossing mountains, forests and glaciers,” he said.

“This is not just a journey but a vow that will allow us to breathe only after the Ganga Maaiya (Mother Ganga) is again rejuvenated. Therefore, along with the yatra, team is running many campaigns whose results will be far reaching in bringing back the glory of Mother Ganga,” said Sharma.

He has Col (retd) RP Pandey from Pune, Hirenbhai Patel from Ahmedabad, Rohit

Umrao from Bareilly, Rohit Jat and Shagun Tyagi from Hapur besides commander (retd) Vishwanathan from Kerala as his permanent team members.

Besides walking and creating awareness among the masses along the way, the MGP team members are also mapping the pollution levels in the Ganga every 5-10 kms and geo-tagging every source of pollution flowing into Ganga, the details of which will be available on their website every year.

“So far pollution at over 500 points and their sources have been reviewed,” Sharma added.

Other activities of the team include Vrikshamal Abhiyan wherein the team is planting trees for the purpose of preserving and constructing the environment on the entire Parikrama path.