E-Paper
Int’l River Health Conference: ‘NMCG playing a vital role in managing country’s water resources’
Delegates and experts from around the world presented their perspectives, experiences, case studies, and challenges encountered in the rejuvenation of river health.
VARANASI The director general of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), G Asok Kumar, emphasised the pivotal role played by NMCG in national water resource management, with the ongoing support of experts, researchers, academicians, and various societal and industrial organisations. Asok made these remarks during his participation in the third international conference on River Health: Assessment to Restoration (RHAR), 2023, hosted by IIT-BHU at Swatantrata Bhavan.
The conference, which ran from October 12th to 14th, included a special session on Indo-Danish Smart Laboratory on Clean Rivers (SLCR). The event was inaugurated on Friday at Swatantrata Bhawan in BHU campus, graced by Swantantra Dev Singh, Minister of Jal Shakti, and Freddy Svane, Ambassador from the Royal Danish Embassy, who served as the Guest of Honour.
Delegates and experts from around the world presented their perspectives, experiences, case studies, and challenges encountered in the rejuvenation of river health. Notable attendees included Ashok Kumar Singh, chief engineer, Irrigation Department; G. Asok, director general, NMCG; Prof S Mandal, head of the Civil Department at IIT-BHU; and Prof PK Singh, professor and convenor of RHAR 2023. The organising committee was headed by Dr Anurag Ohri and Dr Shishir Gaur from the Civil Engineering department of IIT-BHU.
During the event, Prof Singh and Prof Mandal stressed the significance of preserving rivers and highlighted the role of citizens, social organizations, educational institutions, and students in this endeavour. Ambassador Svane expressed his enthusiasm for the conference and hoped for increased collaboration among researchers, academicians, industrial experts, and politicians to achieve their goal of river rejuvenation.
Swantantra Dev Singh Ji underscored the importance of education in the nation and its potential to contribute to sustainable development. He commended the government’s efforts in managing the nation’s water resources and shared key insights for fostering harmony among citizens.
Dr Anurag Ohri delivered the Vote of Thanks, expressing gratitude to the organizers, delegates, experts, participants, sponsors, and volunteers. He anticipated that the three-day conference, continuing until October 14th, 2023, would be mutually beneficial. The event concluded with the presentation of mementos and shawls to the esteemed guests as tokens of appreciation.
In the coming days, the conference will feature presentations from students and experts worldwide, addressing topics such as water resource management, river rejuvenation, and India’s journey towards water positivity. The conference is scheduled to conclude on October 14th, 2023.
