Mission Gange rafting expedition to kick-off tomorrow

The first Indian woman to scale Mt Everest Bachendri Pal will lead the month-long rafting expedition of a 40-member team. The expedition will start from Haridwar on October 5, traversing a distance of around 1,500 km encompassing eight major towns including Bijnor, Farrukhabad, Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi and Buxar. It will conclude in Patna, Bihar on October 30.

National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has partnered with Tata Steel Adventure Foundation (TSAF) for this expedition which comprises several trained mountaineers. Seven of them have climbed Mt Everest. Besides, professionals from backgrounds as diverse as engineering, environmentalists and science are part of the team that is prepared to meet all challenges that they may encounter during the expedition.

The team, during its stay in the towns, will carry out cleanliness drives at ghats and surrounding areas by engaging and motivating more and more people.

TSAF chief and Mission Gange expedition leader Bachendri Pal said, “Our expedition is inspired by Government of India’s Namami Gange mission, which has been a very important step towards cleaning the Ganges that has been a life-supporting river for millions in our country.

The aim of our expedition is to reach out to as many people as possible, heighten the awareness around keeping this great river clean and make a people’s movement out of the Mission that had started four years ago.”

“Awareness campaigns will be conducted in schools to sensitise students towards cleaning of Ganga. Events such as Ganga chaupals will be conducted along the holy river to create conversations between stakeholders,” said NMCG DG Rajiv Ranjan Mishra.