NMCG Signs MoU with Rotary India for the Success of Namami Gange In its effort to make Namami Gange programme a mass movement with the involvement of more and more voluntary organisations, National Mission for Clean Ganga under Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation signed an MoU with Rotary India in New Delhi today. Rotary India will support clean Ganga mission through their WASH in Schools program in various schools. The program includes the implementation of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene services in the targeted government schools and sensitizing all the stakeholders including school children, teachers, school management communities and communities etc. on practicing positive health behaviors for improving awareness on sanitation. This will be achieved through an integrated learning environment and enabling children to serve as agents of change for their siblings and communities at large. Rotary India has planned to undertake WASH in Schools programme in 20,000 Government Schools. It may be recalled that Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Sushri Uma Bharti has been advocating the involvement of voluntary organization and NGOs into the Namami Gange programme to make it a mass movement. The MoU will pave the way for integrating the theme of Ganga Rejuvenation with Rotary's program of WASH which is to be undertaken in government schools and communities located along the river Ganga in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand and Nadia District of West Bengal and other states where Rotary has a strong presence. It will undertake activities and campaigns to create awareness in schools and communities about Ganga rejuvenation and thereby reducing the pollution flowing into the river. The emphasis will be on public outreach and community participation. The MoU shall remain in force for two years. The collaboration between NMCG and Rotary is a significant step in involving various stake holders and communities in Ganga Rejuvenation. The collaboration would initially focus on synergizing the strength of Rotary International for Ganga Rejuvenation without any additional financial commitment from NMCG. The MoU was signed by Director General, National Mission for Clean Ganga Shri UP Singh and Vice Chairman of Rotary India Shri PT Prabhakar. Samir/jk
