NMCG, the authority to implement the Namami Gange Programme, envisions enabling all stakeholders involved in riverine system, water resources management and space communities for unhindered access to data and knowledge to realize their full potential through creativity in contributing to a world in which availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all would be a reality. The Namami Gange Programme is progressively adopting these state of the art technologies in its working and has been focusing upon engaging students in various activities for environmental protection and Ganga rejuvenation. Students of the Kendriya Vidyalaya Schools have been actively participating in different activities such as Ganga Quest, Quiz and also Online Story Map Competition of the Ganga basin.
The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) organised a workshop on online story map for understanding of the Ganga river basin on 4th November 2019 for secondary standard students of Kendriya Vidayalaya Sangathan, from 16 Delhi schools with the help of NMCG’s technology partners viz; ESRI India Technology Ltd and Tree Craze Foundation.
The story map concept allows the students with varying levels of space technology and mapping experience/ interest to express the spatial story attached to their knowledge. The main objective was to develop “Ganga Living Atlas” by the students of Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan schools in Delhi, which was compiled by NMCG and ESRI India. The Ganga Living Atlas was launched by Shri Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, DG NMCG, Shri Santosh Kumar Mall, Commissioner Kendrya Vidhyalya Sangathan Delhi and Shri Agendra Kumar, President ESRI India.
Online Map Theme: KV Schools students have actively participated and submitted the story maps as per the following defined themes:
• History and culture outstanding along the river or around river corridor,
• Wildlife and biodiversity along the river or around river corridor,
• Remarkable values-forest types, ecology, palaeontology and geology,
• Home to a diverse species of fishes,
• Recreational/adventure activities along the large stream,
• Tributaries of river Ganga,
• Pilgrimage around the holy river,
• Sacred religious sites-ghats, crematoria etc,
• Mineral sites,
• Mappings industries and polluting agents,
• Mission sites (STP/CETP/RFD/Ghats/Crematoria) for cleaning the river
• Mapping heritage sites around the river.
“Junior Ganga River Scientist” Award: The top winning school’s teams were awarded as “Junior Ganga River Scientist” on 24.02.2020 (03.00 PM) at the Auditorium, National Mission for Clean Ganga by Sh. Santosh Kumar Mall, IAS, Commissioner, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, Delhi and Sh. Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, Director General, National Mission for Clean Ganga. Details of prize winning teams are as follows:
- First prize winning team: KV Gole Market (Team-Kali),
- Second prize winning team: KV Delhi Cantt No. 2 (Team-Hooghly),
- Third prize winning team: KV Pragati Vihar (Team-Alaknanda),
- Consolation prize winning team: KV Pushp Vihar (Team-Chambal)
Ganga Praharis: The biodiversity of the Ganga River is under stress due to reduced water availability, habitat degradation, pollution, and unsustainable resource extraction. To preserve the ecological integrity of the Ganga River, and, develop baseline of different species and undertake habitat improvement and species conservation, the National Mission for Clean Ganga-Wildlife Institute of India (NMCG-WII) project ‘Biodiversity Conservation and Ganga Rejuvenation’ is involving members of the local community/younger students in the five Ganga states (Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal) as guardians of the river or known as Ganga Praharis. Ganga Praharis are self-motivated and trained volunteers from among the local communities working for biodiversity conservation and cleanliness of the Ganga River with the ultimate objectives of restoring the Nirmal and Aviral Dhara. On the occasion, KV school students, were also registered as Bal Ganga Prahari by WII-NMCG teams.
Ganga Quest Online Quiz 2020: A national online quiz on Ganga was first conducted in 2019 by NMCG and Tree Craze Foundation. Ganga Quest is a national bilingual (Hindi and English) online quiz on Ganga. This has been made an annual feature. TREE Craze Foundation would be organising it and this is an important public outreach activity of NMCG for students. The quiz details were announced on this occasion and Kendriya Vidyalaya students were requested to take part in large number as was the case last year.
