Documentary on mission to clean Ganga to premiere on National Geographic tomorrow

PTI, Mar 21, 2022, 4:06 PM IST

Source: Nat Geo

New Delhi: Charting Ganga’s journey from its birthplace in the glaciers of Uttarakhand to the wetlands of Sundarbans, a new documentary on one of the largest and most comprehensive river conservation programmes in India will premiere on National Geographic on March 22, the network said on Monday.

Titled, ”Ganga: The River from the Skies”, the one-hour special will highlight the intricate network of people, organisations, and infrastructure that are working together towards this monumental — National Mission for Clean Ganga — to rejuvenate and preserve the river, it said in a statement.

”Ganga River Basin is the largest river basin in India, covering 1 million square kilometres, sustaining 600 million people. But relentless human and economic activity and the effects of climate change have impacted the clean and unbridled flow of its waters in the main stem and in its tributaries,” it said.

Given this, a dedicated programme has been sanctioned to tackle the pollution of the river launched by the Central government in tandem with premier technology and conservation partners and involving grassroot communities, the network said.

With an aim to create awareness and encourage people to do their part in rejuvenating the Ganga, National Geographic in India has associated with NMCG. Through the film, the network added, it aims to encourage viewers to bring about a ”behavioural change and ensure long-term sustainability of these initiatives”.

”From the wetlands of the Sundarbans, through the silk city of Bihar, where the Gangetic Dolphin thrives, to the glaciers of Uttarakhand, the birthplace of the Ganga, the film takes the viewers through one of the largest and most comprehensive river conservation programmes in the country,” the statement said.

Hosted by award-winning conservationist and filmmaker, Mike Pandey, the film will let viewers experience Ganga’s beautiful voyage across the heart of India, through a mosaic of cultures, traditions, and communities that have a unique relationship with the river, the network said.

The documentary will premiere on World Water Day on March 22 at 8 PM on National Geographic in India, it said.

”Our river Ganga is considered to be a lifeline of this country and plays many a role in each state that it traverses through. ”However, it is currently facing many threats and at National Mission for Clean Ganga, we have been consistently working towards changing the fate of the Ganga and other rivers and for this, contribution at an individual level by every citizen of India is extremely crucial. We all can come together and create a difference by saving Ganga,” the statement quoting G Asok Kumar, Director General, NMCG, said.

”Our association with National Geographic is an important step towards sharing the incredible story of river Ganga with viewers across the country and uniting them to collectively work towards a conservation mission,” he said. A National Geographic spokesperson said, ”The Ganga has significant economic, environmental, cultural, and religious value in our country and by showcasing the incredible and extensive efforts of the NMCG to clean and rejuvenate our majestic river, we wanted to encourage everyone to do their part in making the Ganga thrive again”.

Filmmaker Mike Pandey said, for this very special film, ”I travelled from Sunderbans to Devprayag and the Himalayas to understand the ongoing conservation work and protection of the Ganga River Basin. ”The message of this film is that each one of us needs take ownership, lend your shoulders become part of the effort and feel responsible for the health and well-being of our rivers”.