Wing Commander Paramvir Singh, along with his team of swimmers and rafters, were welcomed by Manoj Garg, Mayor of Haridwar, Municipal Corporation at Har Ki Pauri. The ‘Ganga Avahan’ team started its journey from Devprayag on October 8 and covered a distance of 92 kms to reach Haridwar on Sunday.
In his address, Mayor said: “In consonance with the Prime Minister’s vision of making India clean, the Ministry of Urban Development has supported a swimming expedition ‘Ganga Avahan’, as part of the Swachh Bharat Mission. The expedition, led by Wing Commander Paramvir Singh is a unique mission wherein a team of brave army personnel shall swim the entire length of River Ganga, from Devprayag to Ganga Sagar.”
He said that this adventurous expedition by the armed forces personnel would definitely help propagate the message of Swachh Bharat and Ganga cleanliness, and also motivate the citizens to realise their responsibility in making the dream of ‘Swachh Bharat’ a reality.
Upon reaching Haridwar, the team interacted with local school students and informed them about the ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’. The team also attended the aarti at ‘Har Ki Pauri’ and thanked the people for their support.
later, Wing Commander Singh said: “Each one of us is capable of setting an example and encouraging others to keep our surroundings clean. River Ganga is one of the most holy rivers of India and we need to take steps to maintain its sanctity intact.”
The ‘Ganga Avahan’ team’s objective is to set a world record by swimming from Devprayag to Gangasagar in a period 35 days, covering a distance of 2,800 kilometres and educating the people about the mission and its importance, he added.