Ganga Connect exhibition in UK invites Indian diaspora to restore, conserve holy river

After a successful debut at COP-26, Glasgow, the Ganga Connect exhibition was inaugurated by RT at Cardiff University on Friday. Honorable. Mark Drakeford MS, First Minister of Wales and Indian High Commissioner to the UK Gayatri Issar Kumar.

Jointly organized by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), C-Ganga and the High Commission of India, Ganga Connect is a global exhibition and an outreach platform that will showcase multiple aspects of the river system and will connect a range of interested partners.

In a press release, NMCG said that the exhibition provides a clear and deep understanding of the size, magnitude and complexity of the Ganga River ecosystem.

NMCG said, “It highlighted a range of solutions being developed and implemented and shared program status updates and execution timelines. The exhibition also reflects the deep spiritual and philosophical connect that Indians have with the river.”

“The exhibition also enables engagement with interested parties and expatriates who wish to be involved in the rejuvenation, restoration and conservation of the river system”, the release said.

In his keynote address, Mark Drakeford MS stated that while borders are irrelevant in the climate crisis and impacts cannot be mitigated by individual countries acting alone, international cooperation is the only way forward.

Indian High Commissioner Gayatri Issar Kumar highlighted how Indians respect Ganga and the high priority accorded to Namami Gange Mission by the Government of India.

He further commented on how the Namami Gange Mission brings together public policy, technology intervention and community participation to revive and rejuvenate the Ganga River. The exhibition also marked the annual Diwali celebrations, a must-see event for the strong expatriate community in Wales

Ashok Kumar, Executive Director (Projects) NMCG and Sammit Ahuja, Expert Member, C-Ganga toured and explained various aspects of Ganga Rejuvenation Program to the First Minister and High Commissioner.

The Scientific Roundtable was also hosted by The Water Research Institute, which is part of the Gw4 Water Alliance, the largest water-focused initiative of the Universities of Cardiff, Bath, Bristol and Exeter in the UK.