Conserving rivers key to India's heritage, future: Jal Shakti minister

New Delhi, Sep 25 (PTI) Highlighting rivers as both ecological lifelines and cultural reservoirs, Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Paatil on Thursday said India's river systems are central to the country's heritage and future.

"India is a land of rivers. The world's finest river, the Ganga, flows in India. It is our duty not to pollute our rivers," Paatil said while inaugurating the 6th edition of the Nadi Utsav at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) here.

The minister said under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, significant steps are being taken through Water Vision@2047 to ensure sustainable river conservation.

He said the government's work is being carried out at three levels -- short-term, mid-term and long-term -- to address challenges facing river systems.

Calling river protection a shared responsibility, Paatil warned that human interventions have inflicted immense damage on water bodies and praised the IGNCA for sustaining the Nadi Utsav tradition.

The three-day festival, organised by the IGNCA that functions under the Ministry of Culture, opened with participation from scholars, artistes, practitioners and students. Spiritual leader Gaurang Das of the ISKCON said rivers symbolise resilience and cultural flow, likening the Ganga's uninterrupted journey to the Bay of Bengal to the society's ability to turn challenges into opportunities.

Expressing concern over the Yamuna's state, he said its revival is a collective responsibility.

The first day of the festival featured a national seminar on "Riverscape Dynamics: Changes and Continuity", where 45 research papers will be presented from more than 300 submissions, and the opening of the "My River Story" documentary film festival. Films, such as "Gotakhors: Disappearing Diving Communities", "River Man of India" and "Cauvery -- River of Life", explored ecological concerns, traditional practices and the deep human connection with rivers, according to a statement from the IGNCA.

The festival will continue till September 27, with cultural performances, exhibitions and discussions to reaffirm the links between rivers, ecology and culture. PTI UZM RC