New Delhi: As many as 20,000 youths in the Ganga basin states will be trained and deployed as ‘Swachhta Doots’ in about 2,336 villages along the river to spread the message of keeping the river clean among the local dwellers and visitors. The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has approved a Rs 10 crore project for training and deployment of the 20,000 youngsters for the purpose, Union Water Resources Ministry said today. The NMCG is also tasked with implementing Centre’s flagship Namami Gange programme.
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The project, to be implemented in association with Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) – an autonomous body under Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, was sanctioned by the NMCG yesterday. The project envisages deployment of the youth, to be called as Swachhta Doots (Cleanliness Ambassadors), in 29 districts spanning about 2,336 villages along the river in basin states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal, a official statement said.
A project officer will be assigned to each of these districts. In what is aimed at generating widespread awareness on
ills of polluting river Ganga, a cadre of thousands of youths will be groomed as volunteers to be deployed in villages along the river to raise clean Ganga consciousness among the local dwellers and visitors, the statement said.
The trained youth would exhort and motivate local population and tourists to refrain from polluting river Ganga. Among other things, they would also inform people about existing government activities like construction of toilets, water harvesting and conservation for creating a comprehensive database in coordination with the NMCG.
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The volunteers would be led by around 50 enthusiastic spearhead campaigners, who will lead them in their assigned
jurisdictions. All this will be done in consultation with village youth clubs, it said. According to an official, the training of the youth is expected to begin by the end of this month.
