The Defence Ministry has decided to raise one battalion of Ganga Task Force initially, comprising ex-servicemen who will be residing along the river for monitoring pollution. The Union Minister of State for Water Resources Sanwar Lal said that Germany, Australia, Canada, Singapore and the Netherlands have expressed interest to support Ganga rejuvenation through knowledge/technology sharing and providing financial/technical assistance for cleaning up of Ganga, capacity building, research and development, sharing of experiences, expertise and best practises.
Facts about River Ganga
- River Bhagirathi and Alaknanda join each other at Devprayag to form River Ganga.
- Major pilgrimage places on River Ganga are- Rishikesh, Haridwar, Varanasi and Prayag (Allahabad).
- The mouth of River Ganga forms a vast delta, the Sundarban delta (the largest delta in the world).
- The Ganges is home to over 100 different species of fish and more than 50 different types of amphibian.
- River Ganga is about 1557 miles long(2506 km).
- The Ganges shark, once common in the waters of the Ganges River, is now endangered.
Test Your Knowledge
Who is the current cabinet minister for water resources, river development and Ganga rejuvenation?
