New Delhi: On the occasion of the International Day of Yoga, the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) organized ‘Ghat Par Yog’ on 21st June 2022 on Signature Bridge Ghat in Delhi on River Yamuna. This was part of the special initiative of NMCG to have ‘Ghat Par Yog’ on all Ganga ghats. A group of NGOs, officials from Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), volunteers from Ganga Vichar Manch, students, children and local people participated in large numbers in the event which took place between 6 AM to 8 AM. The Yoga session was conducted by Yogacharya Dr. Dayashankar Vidyalankar, Consulate General of India, New York.
G. Asok Kumar, Director General, NMCG, D.P. Mathuria, Executive Director (Technical), NMCG, Satya Prakash Vashishth, Executive Director (Admin.), NMCG, Himansu Badoni, Executive Director (Projects), NMCG and S.R. Meena, Deputy Director General, NMCG, Bharat Pathak, Convener, Ganga Vichar Manch also took part in the ‘Ghat Par Yog’ event in Delhi. The NGOs which were part of the event include Bharatiyam, Rotary Manthan, Tree Craze Foundation and others. More than 350 people participated in the event.
Under Namami Gange Programme, Yoga sessions were organized at more than 75 locations in States across Ganga Basin today. The activities were dedicated to Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, to celebrate the 75 years of Indian Independence. Yoga experts, Ganga Praharis, Ganga Mitras, Ganga Doots from Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), students, officials from district administration, local people, etc. took part in the Yoga sessions organized on the banks of River Ganga and its tributaries. The events were organized through District Ganga Committees, the district-level arm of NMCG, who have been active from the past few months in organizing Ganga-specific activities in the Ganga basin.
As per the updates from the States so far (by 5:00 P.M. on 21st June 2022), the ‘Ghat Par Yog’ events were organized at around 145 locations in Ganga main stem states including 60 in Uttar Pradesh, 30 in Uttarakhand, 15 in Jharkhand, 36 in Bihar and 4 in West Bengal.
Participation of Ministers in ‘Ghat Par Yog’ events in States
Pushkar Singh Dhami, Chief Minister, Uttarakhand, Giriraj Singh, Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Brijesh Pathak, Deputy Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh, Satyapal Singh, Member of Parliament, Baghpat, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, Member of Parliament, Haridwar participated in ‘Ghat Par Yog’ events on the ghats of Ganga.
Activities in States
Several yoga activities were also organized in main stem Ganga basin States in which various members from volunteer groups like Ganga Praharis, Ganga Mitras, Ganga Doots from NYKS and civil society participated in large numbers. The events were organized through District Ganga Committees in Ganga Basin states. The interest shown by DGCs in organizing Ganga-related activities from the past few months has been particularly inspiring. On the occasion of International Day of Yoga, the district administration officials also participated in large numbers in the events.