Gangey Fest highlights urgent call for environmental action
Bollywood actor Manoj Joshi at the two-day “Gangey Festival, “From Thought to Action” held in Rishikesh. He appealed for a complete ban on the use of plastic and urged that the movement for the conservation of the Ganges should begin at the grassroots level, from village to village.
Manoj Joshi began his artistic journey in theatre and has demonstrated his versatility in cinema through a wide range of roles — from comic characters like Kachra Seth to intense and serious portrayals such as Chanakya.
Joshi attended as the Chief Guest, while Uday Narang, Chairman of Omega Seiki Mobility, was the Guest of Honour. The event featured in-depth discussions on the cleanliness of the Ganga, pressing environmental challenges, and future strategies for sustainable conservation. Speakers emphasized that the need of the hour is not just thoughtful deliberation, but concrete behavioural change to ensure meaningful environmental protection.
Gangey Fest 2026 witnessed vibrant participation from environmental experts, policymakers, journalists, academicians, social media influencers, startup founders, local villagers, and students from colleges across India.
Held in the serene surroundings of Jogiyana Village in Rishikesh, the festival evolved into a dynamic platform for dialogue on pressing environmental challenges and sustainable solutions. The day was formally inaugurated by Professor (Dr) Govind Singh, Chairman of the Media Advisory Committee of the Government of Uttarakhand. In his keynote address, Prof. Govind noted that although the environment is fundamental to human survival.
He also proposed innovative policy interventions, including the implementation of a green tax model, to generate sustainable resources for conservation initiatives. Nine thematic sessions were organized throughout the day, covering diverse topics such as environmental journalism, Prem Ki God, eco-friendly startups, From Words to Greenery, virtual politics, New Flight, Stories of Characters, and Expanding the Idea Towards Zero Waste.
Renowned entrepreneur and electric vehicle pioneer Udayraj Narang, in conversation with Girijansh, emphasised that the coming years will be particularly challenging for environmental conservation. He called for persistent innovation and a shift toward cleaner and more efficient alternatives to address the climate crisis. Speakers including Dr Rajni Mudgal, Roshni Gupta, Manish Verma, Shraddha Lokhande, Anurag Tripathi, Sushma Gupta, Anjum Sharma, Rishabh Tiwari, Dipansh Yadav, Rashi Sahu, Swapnil Thakur, Ravi Shekhar, Vaibhav Patel, Kajal, and Pankaj Jina contributed to enriching discussions.
Across sessions, participants emphasised sustainable innovation, responsible communication, and collective civic participation as key pathways to addressing environmental concerns. Chairman of Gange Girijansh Gopalan and his team expressed heartfelt gratitude to all guests, partners, and attendees, seeking continued guidance and collaboration for future editions of Gange Fest.
