Army Commander, Central command flags off Plastic Eradication Kaar Sewa for rejuvenation of Ganga New Delhi [I
Its mission spans afforestation, pollution mapping, including measuring the presence of microplastics and raising public awareness to restore the river.
The drive was flagged off by Lieutenant General Anindya Sengupta, GOC-in-C Central Command, at Lucknow on June 2. The ceremony was attended by Gopal Sharma, founder of the trust and Lt Col Hem Lohumi. Lieutenant General Vikas Rohilla, DG LWE and Colonel Commandant Bombay Sappers also graced the occasion.
The initiative is being supported by the State administration of Uttarakhand, the Border Roads Organisation and the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering. Corporate support is being provided by Bisleri.
Atulya Ganga volunteers will assemble at Uttarkashi on June 3. On a daily basis till June 7, they will physically collect all the plastic waste littered on the roadside and on mountain slopes between Gangotri and Harsil. The collected waste will be handed over to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) for further disposal.
Through this initiative, the NGO aims to cultivate a mindset amongst the citizens and government machinery to recognise the urgent requirement of promoting sustainable practices to protect nature.
Earlier, in April Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the government is preparing for the Green Chardham Yatra this time, a release from Uttarakhand CMO said.
He said that the government's effort is not only to provide the pilgrims with pure food and a clean environment but also to prevent the problem of single-use plastic from arising at our holy pilgrimage sites due to the Yatra. We are working on the principle of reducing, reusing, and recycling single-use plastic, he said. (ANI)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Gazette
an hour ago
- India Gazette
Excellent arrangement: Devotees hail facilities as they depart fo
Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], July 3 (ANI): A fresh batch of pilgrims set off on Thursday morning for the holy cave of Shri Amarnath Baba, chanting 'Har Har Mahadev' and 'Bam Bam Bhole' as they began their journey. One pilgrim at the Baltal base camp, who is visiting the Amarnath shrine for the 14th time, praised the arrangements. 'I am from Sangrur, Punjab. This is the 14th time I have come for the Amarnath Yatra. There is no need to rush. The arrangements made by the government are excellent,' he told ANI. A pilgrim from Bengal, who was part of the first group departing from the Pahalgam base camp, also expressed satisfaction. 'We are very happy. We have no fear. Our government is very good... Our Army is also very good. We have no reason to be afraid,' he said. Another devotee from the same batch added, 'The facilities are very good... Everything belongs to Bhole Baba. We possess nothing... The arrangements are excellent.' Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Vijay Kumar Bidhuri said the enthusiasm among devotees for the 38-day yatra is unmatched. 'This Yatra is not just a religious Yatra. Security forces, 'pitthus', and every service provider are involved in it... The enthusiasm among the devotees is unparalleled. I pray that everyone's wishes are fulfilled and there is peace and happiness in Kashmir and the rest of the country,' he said. Kavita Saini, a pilgrim making her first trip to Amarnath, also shared her experience. 'This is my first time for the Amarnath Yatra. The experience is very good. We got our medical certificate and registration from here. Everyone was very helpful. The Delhi Police and Kashmir Police were all very helpful to us... I will pray that there is peace and happiness in our country and that whatever happened recently does not happen again.' The 38-day pilgrimage will begin on July 3 and end on August 9. It will follow two routes, the traditional 48-kilometre Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the shorter but steeper 14-kilometre Baltal route in Ganderbal district. The first group of pilgrims departed from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu on July 2. Security across the Jammu region has been stepped up significantly in the wake of the April 2025 terror attack in Pahalgam. Over 50,000 personnel from the CRPF, Army, and Police have been deployed. CCTV cameras, drones, jammers, and facial recognition systems are being used to monitor the route. Arrangements have also been made for medical teams, air ambulances, and emergency evacuation, to ensure the safety of all pilgrims. (ANI)
Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
‘Spit jihad' happened before, ensure it is not repeated during Kanwar Yatra: Uttarakhand CM Dhami tells officials
Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday, while reviewing preparations for the Kanwar Yatra, asked officials to ensure that incidents of 'spit jihad' do not occur during the pilgrimage. Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami reviews Kanwar Yatra plans, asks officials to prevent any 'spit jihad' incidents during the pilgrimage.(PTI File) The Bharatiya Janata Party coined the term 'spit jihad' a few years ago after a video of a dhaba cook spitting into roti (bread) dough went viral on social media. Another viral video showed a fruit vendor allegedly spitting on apples and wiping them before selling. Speaking to reporters after reviewing the preparations with senior officials, Dhami said, 'Efforts are on to ensure that the Kanwariyas coming to Haridwar return with a good experience. Incidents of 'spit jihad' have happened during the Kanwar Yatra earlier. I have asked officials to ensure they are not repeated.' The annual Kanwar Yatra, beginning on July 11, sees Lord Shiva's devotees from various states come to Haridwar to collect Ganga water. Dhami also told reporters that the government's recent order requiring hotels, restaurants, dhabas, and other roadside eateries along the Yatra route to display food licences prominently is aimed at ensuring impure food is not served to devotees. ALSO READ | UP revives eatery nameplate diktat after Kanwar Yatra row The Uttarakhand chief minister extended a warm welcome to all Kanwariyas coming to Haridwar and prayed to Lord Shiva to fulfil all their wishes. However, he requested devotees to follow the Yatra rules, saying, 'They shouldn't cause sound pollution by playing loud DJs. They should also keep the Kanwar size within the prescribed limits.' Last year, the Uttarakhand government had also issued guidelines to prevent incidents of 'spitting in food,' with fines reaching up to ₹ 1 lakh. The state police and health departments had released separate guidelines requiring police verification of hotel and dhaba staff, and installation of CCTV cameras in kitchens. Similarly, the Meerut district administration has mandated that all food joints along the Kanwar Yatra route must prominently display key information, including food item lists and prices. The food safety department has been tasked with ensuring that all food outlets display their mandatory food safety registration certificates, which must include the owner's name and registration number.
India Today
7 hours ago
- India Today
Bahuda Yatra 2025: Date, time, rituals and meaning of Lord Jagannath's return
The Ratha Yatra is one of the largest and most cherished festivals in India, bringing hundreds of thousands of devotees to Puri, Odisha each year! After the spectacular procession in which Lord Jagannath and his siblings are carried to the Gundicha Temple, the festival completes its last act with Bahuda Yatra, the "return journey", which in 2025 will occur on July 5. This very sacred festival is not only deeply spiritual, but also a beautiful and cultural spectacle of people witnessing the return of the devotees to their homes after seven remarkably moving Yatra, which means "return journey" in Odia, celebrates the return of the devotees to the temple. After spending time at the Gundicha Temple (considered to be Lord Jagannath's aunt's birthplace), the three deities will leave Gundicha Temple and return to their home at the Shree Jagannath devotees will return to those splendid wooden, beautifully decorated chariots: Lord Jagannath's Nandighosha chariot, Lord Balabhadra's Taladhwaja chariot, and Goddess Subhadra's Darpadalan journey is not just a ritual but a moment of joy and devotion for thousands who pull the chariots, sing bhajans, and pray RITUALS BEFORE AND DURING BAHUDA YATRASeveral special rituals take place before the Bahuda Yatra Moda (July 2–3, 2025): The chariots are turned southward to face the Shree Jagannath Temple, symbolising the deities' readiness to return Darshan (July 4, 2025): Devotees get a special evening glimpse of the deities before their Yatra (July 5, 2025): The actual return journey, filled with devotional music, chants, and the pulling of the grand chariots by thousands of many, Bahuda Yatra is more than a festival it symbolises reunion and balance. The return of Lord Jagannath and his siblings to their main temple is seen as a return to cosmic order, where they resume their divine roles and join Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Jagannath's believe that pulling the chariots during the Bahuda Yatra brings good fortune and washes away sins. The event becomes a moving expression of faith, hope, and PanchamiJuly 1, 2025Dakshina ModaJuly 2–3, 2025Sandhya DarshanJuly 4, 2025Bahuda YatraJuly 5, 2025advertisement For many hundreds of thousands of devotees, the act of pulling the chariots during the Bahuda Yatra is seen as an enormous spiritual benefit. The return trip is also seen as signifying the reaffirmation of divinity, with the servants of God returning to their consort Lakshmi, and the deities resuming their cosmic celebration is filled with traditional Odder music, slogans, martial arts presentations, and sheer fervour that easily turns the temple city into a sea of devotion.- Ends
