Ganga Utsav 2020

Ganga Utsav 2020

Part of: GS Prelims and GS-I – Culture & GS-III – Environment

In news

• Recently, the Ganga Utsav 2020 has begun. 
• It celebrates the glory of the National river Ganga.

Key takeaways 

• The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) celebrates the festival every year.
• Aim: To promote stakeholder engagement and ensure public participation.
• It celebrates river Ganga through storytelling, dialogues with eminent personalities, displaying traditional art forms, dance and music performance, etc. 
• Ganga Task Force (GTF) also conducted an afforestation drive with National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets and educational tour for youth.
• Mini Ganga Quest was also held which was designed to make youth and students aware of environmental issues and explain their role in conservation.

Important value additions 

River Ganga

• It is the longest river of India. 
• It is revered by Hindus as the most sacred river on earth.
• It originates in the Gangotri Glacier in the Himalayas as the Bhagirathi River.
• The Ganga river basin is one of the most fertile and densely populated areas of the world. 
• The Ganges River Dolphin, an endangered animal, specifically habitats this river.
• It ends its journey by emptying into the Bay of Bengal.
• Ganga was declared as the National River of India on 4th November 2008.