KOCHI: Following the success of the Navy’s Sagar Parikrama voyages, the National Cadet Corps (NCC) too is set to launch a special sailing expedition along the Ganges and Hooghly rivers, crossing three states.
The nearly 1,200-km, first-of-its-kind journey will be undertaken by 528 cadets from the NCC’s naval wing and drawn from across the country. The expedition will commence from Atal Ghat in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, on Monday (October 21), and will be done in six phases, each roughly 200km.
The planned stops are at Prayagraj and Varanasi in UP, Buxar and Patna in Bihar, Farakka and finally, Kolkata in West Bengal. The group will make the journey on three DK Whalers (a class of sailing boats) and is expected to reach their final destination (Man O’ War Jetty in Kolkata) on December 20.
A 24-member team from the NCC’s Kerala and Lakshadweep directorate is also part of the expedition. “They were shortlisted from across our five naval battalions; roughly, 10,000 cadets. Six more have been selected as reserve candidates,” an NCC official from the directorate told TNIE.
“The expedition aims to highlight the role of India’s rivers in spawning and nurturing our great civilization, and to sensitise citizens about the immediate need to protect, conserve and rejuvenate these important water resources,” a ministry official said. The expedition’s theme is ‘Bharatiya Nadiya: Sanskritiyon ki Janani’.
Theatre performances are planned along the way to promote local culture and raise awareness on environmental conservation.
For most of the journey, the Ganges is very flat. “While this could likely mean less difficulty, that’s not the case,” said Rency Thomas, the only Indian to navigate the full length of the river.
“This is the Gangetic Plain where, if the river is about 1-2km wide, the next five are marshy, wet terrain. Also, the river divides into many channels here. Only 1-2 of them are with active currents. The rest leads deep into the marshy areas,” Rency told TNIE.
GPS or satellite imagery is also not very reliable here due to the river’s changing nature, he said. “Until Varanasi, it will be slightly difficult. The remainder of the journey is on navigable channels, but then again, bridges and such may pose hurdles,” said Rency, who was also an NCC cadet.
Riverine journeys are not new for the NCC. “Over the years, riverine expeditions have evolved into major events, enhancing the cadets’ endurance, teamwork skills and environmental awareness. These journeys also help instil a sense of national pride,” said an NCC official. The latest voyage is a flagship event leading up to the Republic Day camp, he said.