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ghats in Delhi jointly by NMCG, for Urban Housing and Affairs. ‘Ghat Participated in the launch ceremony
NGOs, Ganga Vichar Manch, MCD, pe Yoga’ session was also organised of Ganga Vilas, the World’s longest
DJB etc. One battalion of Ganga at Sant Gyaneshwar ghat on Mulla river cruise in Varanasi on 13th
Task force (GTf) has also been Mutha River. Such initiatives augur January 2023. The cruise from
deputed in Delhi for River Yamuna. well in nudging the urban planners Varanasi in UP to Dibrugarh in
The jawans patrol the Yamuna ghats to prioritize water conservation in Assam, launched by the Hon’ble PM,
to sensitize people about importance general and river rejuvenation in covered a distance of about 3200
of clean Yamuna and stop them particular, a welcome departure from kms spanning 27 rivers in UP, Bihar,
from throwing solid waste into the the past. Jharkhand, West Bengal and Assam
river. Ganga Swachhta Pakhwada and also through Padma River of
was also observed from 16th to 31st UNGA has declared 2023 as Bangladesh. Promoting tourism
March 2023 on the banks of River International Year of Millets. The in the Ganga Basin is one of the
Ganga and its tributaries. Hon’ble Prime Minister has called for main components of Arth Ganga
a mass movement to promote Millet- campaign.
The 47th meeting of the Executive based nutrition campaigns across the
Committee of NMCG was held on country. A seminar on ‘Millets for March 31, 2023 marked the end of a
22nd february in which nine projects LifE (Lifestyle for Environment): historic financial year for NMCG. In
worth Rs. 1278 crore were approved. Developing Climate Resilient Local this ONE year period not only 1138
Seven pertained to pollution Communities in the Ganga Basin’ MLD sewerage treatment capacity
abatement in West Bengal, Uttar was organised jointly by NMCG and was added (as against the 981 MLD
Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. Wildlife Institute of India (WII) on achieved till December 2021 in 8
NMCG also participated in the second 24th January to promote millet-based years since the start of Namami-
G20 meeting of the Environment natural farming in the Ganga Basin. Gange in 2014), but also saw the
and Climate Sustainability Working It is our endeavor to transform maximum expenditure of appx Rs
Group by setting up a Namami ‘Ganga Basin’ into a ‘Millet Basin’ in 2679 Crores, ending the financial
Gange exhibition. The model of the coming years. year with ZERO closing balances in
Gangetic Dolphin at the exhibition NMCG as required by the Treasury
remained the real attraction of The month of february marked the Single Accounts (TSA) system (as
NMCG pavilion. World Wetland Day (2nd february). against Rs 197 Crores on 31 March,
The importance of wetlands 2022). NMCG made 100% transition
DHARA 2023 (Driving Holistic in river rejuvenation cannot be to TSA system. Rs 428 Crores of
Action for Urban Rivers) was another overemphasized. Inaugurated the interest amount accrued and unspent
important event organised jointly by event organized by NMCG and amount lying with states were
NMCG and National Institute of WII in Narora to observe the World collected back and refunded to the
Urban Affairs (NIUA) from 13th- Wetland Day. I interacted with Ganga Consolidated fund of India. UCs of
14th March 2023 in Pune in the Praharis, Ganga Mitras and others, over Rs 1400 Crores were obtained,
direction of building river-sensitive who are dedicatedly doing their bit reducing the pendency of more than
cities. DHARA 2023 was the annual for Ganga Rejuvenation and also 1 year UCs to less than Rs 600 Cr.
meeting of the members of the visited the site of a Biodiversity Park Through Namami Gange magazine,
River Cities Alliance (RCA). The in Bulandshahar being made under we try to keep various stakeholders
number of member-cities of RCA Namami Gange. A visit was also paid updated about the activities of
has increased from 30 in 2021 to 107 to the Nuclear Power Corporation of NMCG and remain connected with
in 2023, a remarkable achievement. India Limited (NPCIL), Narora to our readers. I thank all our readers,
The opening session was presided discuss the possibility of using treated especially those who have praised
over by the Hon. Union Minister waste water in the plant. In this issue our efforts through their invaluable
for Jal Shakti, who inaugurated the of Namami Gange magazine, we have feedback.
event by unifying the water collected featured East Kolkata Wetlands in the
from 52 participating cities in a Jal Wetland Series section. East Kolkata
Kalash. It is a unique manifestation Wetlands are one of the largest
of Jal Shakti through Jal Sangam, wetlands in India and is considered
embodying the concept of a unified as ‘the kidney of Kolkata’. It sustains
Dhara. The “Pune Declaration” was more than 1288 species of fauna and G. Asok Kumar
also signed in the presence of MoS 637 flora species. DG-NMCG

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