Ganga Swachhta Pakhwada has been one of the most effective ways to spread awareness of the Namami Gange Programme. Observed every year from 16th March to 31st March, the Pakhwada since 2017 has acted as an event to reach out to thousands of people across 5 main stem Ganga basin States of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand & West Bengal, National Capital Territory of Delhi and towns located on the banks of Ganga’s tributaries. It has managed to bring about a behavioral change in the way people, especially locals, view Ganga with respect to its economic significance besides the cultural and social reverence it commands. Ganga Swachhta Pakhwada 2023 was observed energetically in five main stem Ganga basin States and towns along the River’s tributaries, with a slew of activities have taken place to engage people from all walks of life in the Namami Gange Programme.
The activities which were organized included Awareness Rallies, Swachhta Abhiyan, Painting Competition, Ganga Quiz, Ganga Sangoshti, Nukkad Nataks, Signature and Shapath campaigns, Cycling, Painting, Drawing, Essay competitions, Shram Daan, Ganga Swachhta Pad Yatra, Ganga Cleanliness Drive, Folk Dance, Plantation, Cultural Programme, Ganga Swachhta rallies, etc. Volunteers of Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, Ganga Praharis, Ganga Mitras, and Ganga Doots also took part in large numbers.
To mark the occasion of World Water Day on 22nd March, National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) organized along with its stakeholders organized a cleanliness drive at Kalindi Kunj ghat on Yamuna in the National Capital on 25th March 2023. The participants included the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), TCE, Ganga Task Force (GTF), Tree Craze Foundation (TCF), Ganga Vichar Manch (GVM), YSS, Amity University, etc. People from all walks of life joined in large numbers. Several awareness activities were also organized in the main stem Ganga basin States in which various members from volunteer groups and civil society participated in large numbers.