Ganga River Most Visited Pilgrimage Spot With 2 Crore Visitors A Year, Claims Union Minister

Saying it is “prime responsibility” of people to keep Ganga river clean, Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy on Tuesday said it is the most visited pilgrim site in the world.

The Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Reddy said over two crore people come to pay their respect every year to the "sacred" river.

"Hinduism teaches that Ganga is not just a river for bathing, it is a sacred river that is why cleaning it is our prime responsibility. People should make it a custom to keep Ganga clean," he said at the Ganga Utsav.

He added:"In the same way, people should also play a role in keeping the river clean," he added.

He further said that Ganga is “not just a spiritual lifeline but also the economic lifeline” of the people in India.

Reddy called on NGOs and institutions to play their part in keeping the river clean.

Minister of State for Jal Shakti Prahlad Patel said: "We should think of our contribution and not raise our fingers. I can say with responsibility that those who are contributing towards Ganga cleaning are saviours. Rivers should not be looked at as canals. A canal flows as per our wish but rivers like Ganga are independent, which has the capability of cleansing itself if we do not add dirt to it."

Reddy and Patel also released a book and music video on Ganga.

They also released comic series 'Ganga ki Baat – Chacha Chaudhary ke Saath', a public engagement activity, which aims to spread awareness about Ganga Rejuvenation through iconic Indian comic superhero, Chacha Chaudhary. (With PTI inputs)