By Arun Pratap Singh
Srinagar, 2 Nov: The 53-day joint All Women Ganga River Campaign 2024 of BSF Women’s Wing and Namami Gange was launched from Devprayag Sangam today. BSF IG Raja Babu flagged off the rally. Through this campaign, the message of clean Ganga and uninterrupted Ganga, and women empowerment is being spread. Before the start of the campaign, 11 girls were also worshipped as a mark of women empowerment. This campaign is being led by Sub Inspector Praya Meena of BSF.
While speaking on the occasion, IG BSF Raja Babu said that this is the first women’s team of India to become a part of such an adventure programme. 20 women soldiers of BSF are participating in this campaign, having taken six weeks of special training for this. He said that the Ganga is the most sacred river of India, and it is the resolve of the BSP to keep it clean and uninterrupted. He added that this rally will cover a distance of 2,500 km from Devprayag to Gangasagar. This campaign will conclude on 24 December in Gangasagar.
It may be recalled that it was in 2015 that ITBP’s rafting campaign was launched from Devprayag. BSF Sub Inspector Priya Meena, who is leading the boating expedition, said that 20 women officials of BSF posted on the country’s borders have been selected for the expedition after rigorous rafting training. The message of a clean and uninterrupted Ganga will also be given to the new generation in the 43 towns along the Ganga coast in the expedition, which runs in two rafts. She said that in the expedition, which will run till 24 December, a team led by Deputy Commandant Manoj Sundariyal will also accompany for security purposes.
This first ever all women river rafting expedition traversing more than 2,500 km of BSF has been launched with “Female Empowerment” and “Clean Ganga” as the theme. For this exercise, BSF has joined hands with the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) under the Jal Shakti Ministry to undertake the 53-day long voyage from Devprayag in Uttarakhand to Gangasagar in West Bengal . After being flagged off from Devprayag today, the team will be handed over the expedition flag by Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Paatil at Haridwar on 4 November. It will complete its journey on December 26 at Diamond Harbour in West Bengal.
