NEW DELHI: The society needs to consider cleaning the Ganga river as its responsibility and not see it as just the government's job, Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said on Wednesday.
Addressing the valedictory function of the Ganga Utsav, he said everyone should think of themselves as the custodian of the environment.
"We have the role of custodian of this environment. We need to make it better and pass on to the next generation and not deteriorate it further. The society needs to think that cleaning the Ganga river is its responsibility and not just the government's job," he said.
Union minister Kiren Rijiju said a lot of work towards cleaning the Ganga needs to be done. "In the next three to four years, I am confident that the clean Ganga mission will be successful. As an Indian, I believe rejuvenating and cleaning the Ganga is the most crucial programme in the country.
"Namami Gange (National Mission for Clean Ganga) is not just general government work but a mission and the work done under it inspires us," he said.
The government celebrated the three-day 'Ganga Utsav-The River Festival 2021' with a focus on encouraging stakeholder engagement and public participation towards the rejuvenation of the Ganga river.