Ganga Yatra flag-off from Bijnor & Ballia

LUCKNOW: Chief minister Yogi Adityanath will lead the Ganga Yatra from Bijnor on January 27. The second part of the yatra, led by Governor Anandiben Patel, will simultaneously begin from Ballia.
The two yatras will cover 18 districts each before culminating in Kanpur on January 31.
While flagging off the five-day event on Monday, the CM will be accompanied by Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat.
According to sources, the CM will also join the second part of the yatra for a day, possibly around Mirzapur where a 'devi darshan' and 'jansabha' is scheduled to be held on January 29. On Thursday, the CM flagged off the rath for the yatra and launched its theme song. The event is being held to create awareness about the Ganga. It will also mark the completion of three years of Yogi government.
"The yatra that will start from Bijnor will cover 18 towns before it ends in Kanpur. The second section, which will start simultaneously from Ballia, will also cover 18 points, which includes cities like Varanasi and Allahabad. 'Jan sabhas' and Ganga 'aartis' will be organised at most stops," said a senior official.
The government has already passed directions for setting up Ganga maidans in all gram sabhas along the river. Provision is being made to start a Ganga aarti in all villages along the river while organic farming and tree plantation will also be started.
"With the inspiration of PM Modi, the state government is starting the Ganga Yatra. Ganga is the symbol of India's river civilization. It is our responsibility to make people aware the Ganga has to be clean," the CM said. He added that 14 crore litres of sewage which was falling into the Ganga through Kanpur's Sisamau drain had been stopped under the Namami Gange project.