A historic expedition to raft the entire stretch of the Ganga River started on Friday, representing India’s first all-women rafting team Border Security Force (BSF) personnel. The team will travel a distance of approximately 2,500 kms from Devprayag in Tehri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand to Ganga Sagar in West Bengal. The journey is expected to take around 53 days and the attempt seeks to convey two major messages, a flowing Ganga free of pollution and women power.
As part of the annual Ganga Utsav, the initiative was launched on Monday at Chandi Ghat in Haridwar. Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil has flagged off the team, advertising the Ganga as more than just a river. He underscored the importance of cleaning the Ganga and other rivers for the generations to come.
It is a joint campaign, led by BSF Sub-Inspector Praya Meena, that will come to an end on December 26 at Diamond Harbour in West Bengal. The 20 women who are part of the expedition were selected after they passed a rigorous six-week training programme, said BSF Deputy Commandant Manoj Sundariyal, who is leading the expedition. Their training included both foundational and advanced rafting skills in anticipation of the dangerous trip that awaits them.
The immediate thought of such a new expedition came to Mahesh Negi, Commandant, BSF Institute of Adventure and Advanced Training when he observed the remarkable skills of female trainees in rafting courses during adventure training. A few female rowers even eclipsed the performance levels of male counterparts, leading to the creation of an all-women team that would go on to raft in stages along the entire stretch of river. More than a journey, the expedition promotes women empowerment and inspires young girls to believe that any goal can be achieved.
For the first time celebration of Ganga Utsav happened along its banks which also include a ‘Ganga Samvad’ with discussions on river conservation and rejuvenation. Another highlight of the event was when actor Ashutosh Rana performed the Shiv Tandav Stotram. Some other cultural programs for the event were, however, cancelled in view of the recent Almora bus tragedy.