For centuries, cities evolved along rivers. Drew sustenance, culture and meaning from them. But over time, many of these cities turned their backs on the river. The National Mission for Clean Ganga has sought to reverse this distance, through culture, celebration and public participation.
The Ganga Utsav
This spirit comes alive through the Ganga Utsav, a festival dedicated to the life, culture and conservation of the river. Organised on 4 November to mark the day the Ganga was declared India’s National River, the Utsav has evolved into a nationwide platform.
The 2024 edition, held at Chandi Ghat in Haridwar, was the first time the main celebration unfolded on the riverbank in the presence of Union Minister for Jal Shakti C.R. Paatil. The 9th edition of Ganga Utsav in 2025 brought together knowledge, research and people’s participation through an international conference, a youth-led Riverathon and grassroots engagement to deepen the river–people connect.
V. L. Kantha Rao, Secretary, Ministry of Jal Shakti, graced the occasion, with the participation of NMCG officials, District Ganga Committees, students and citizens.
Of Awareness and Adulation
At the Ganga Utsav, discussions sit alongside cultural performances. Children and young people engage through quizzes, film screenings and art workshops focused on cleanliness and ecology. Each edition renews the river’s spiritual significance, placing conservation and scientific planning at the centre of public conversation.
An Alliance for the Ganga
This effort finds its counterpart in the River Cities Alliance (RCA), an effort to place rivers back at the heart of urban planning and governance. Launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and the National Mission for Clean Ganga in 2021, the Alliance aims to help cities grow in ways that respect a river’s natural flow.
The Alliance connects over 100 river cities that exchange ideas on riverfront management, wastewater treatment, flood resilience, biodiversity protection and citizen engagement. At its core lies the understanding that healthy rivers and healthy cities are inseparable. Poorly planned growth leads to pollution, flooding and ecological loss, while thoughtful planning can improve water quality, public spaces, livelihoods and climate resilience.
The Alliance began with 30 cities and expanded to over 140 across river basins such as the Ganga, Yamuna, Narmada, Godavari and Sabarmati. Cities including Kanpur, Ayodhya, Moradabad and Bareilly have prepared Urban River Management Plans, embedding river health into their decisions. The idea has travelled beyond India too, with the emergence of a Global River Cities Alliance linking cities worldwide.
A Relationship That Endures
Through Ganga Utsav and the River Cities Alliance, the mission moves beyond cleaning rivers to rebuilding relationships with them. Carrying forward the spirit of Namami Gange, it reminds us that the future of India’s cities depends on learning to live with the flow, not against it.
