ITBP to create History – ITBP “Ganga Punardarshan” Rafting expedition launched

Shri Jitender Singh,MOS(Home) meeting with members of  ITBP Ganga Rafting Expedition  team

Shri Jitendra Singh, Hon’ble Minister of State for Home Affairs, flagged off  ITBP River Rafting Expedition from Gumukh to Gangasagar at ITBP HQrs, New Delhi. Speaking on this occasion Shri Jitendra Singh said that this attempt of ITBP will be an inspiration for all Indians to develop awareness for cleanliness of holy river Ganga and conservation of water. He further said “I knows that this mission is extremely difficult and challenging. I have firm belief that ITBP will certainly accomplice this mission as ITBP personnel are professionally well trained and physically fit to meet this extreme challenge” He conveyed his best wishes for success of this adventures expedition. On this occasion Shri Ranjit Sinha, Director General, ITBP said “This team has experienced rafters and it will certainly accomplish its mission of rafting from Gomukh to Gangasagar.”

The ITBP is celebrating its Golden Jubilee Year from 24th October 2011 to 24th October 2012. This rafting expedition named as “Ganga Punardarshan” is part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations. The aim of this expedition is to create awareness about clean water, preservation of ecosystem of Ganga, preservation of flora and fauna in Ganga and use of clean practices for discharge of affluent in Ganga. This also aims at creating a sense of adventure among youths and to promote adventure water sports. Besides it will increase professional efficiency of the Force in high Himalayas as rafting is one of the means of transportation.

Shri Jitender Singh, MOS (Home) with members of  ITBP Ganga Rafting Expedition  team

This Rafting Expedition is being launched from Gomukh on 24th April and will finish at Gangasagar on 20th June 2012. The rafting expedition from Gomukh to Gangasagar by this team will also create a record itself as no team has ever done rafting in whole stretch of Ganga.

The Leader of this expedition is Shri S.S. Mishra, Dy. Inspector General and Deputy Leader is Sh. Tarun Kumar, Dy. Commandant. Both of them are renowned rafter and have extensive experience in rafting.

The rafting team has balance composition of experienced and new rafters. ASI/GD Mohammad Ali and ASI/GD Satish Kumar are experienced rafters. They have conducted various expeditions and participated in many national and international level competition. ASI/GD Mohammad Ali is not only a national level rafter but also a mountaineer, who has unfurled Tiranga on Mt. Everest in May 2006.

The team will accomplish its task of more than 2500 kms in six phases and 58 days as per following details:-

SS/No	Phase	Places From                      To	Distance  to be covered  and number of days
1.	Phase-I	Gangotri -  Devprayag	210 kms in 05 days
2.	Phase-II	Devprayag - Haridwar	85 kms in  02 days
3.	Phase-III	Haridwar - Allahabad	810 kms in 19 days
4.	Phase-IV	Allahabad - Patna	410 kms in 11 days
5.	Phase-V	Patna - Farakka	360 kms in 08 days
6.	Phase.VI	Farakka - Gangasagar	650 kms in 13 days

The expedition team will pass through 05 states and 30 major cities. The team will educate and interact with local population and exhibit samples of water collected from every 50 kms in Ganga. An appeal would be made to make its bank free of garbage and polythene. National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) and state governments of Uttrakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal are also helping ITBP in organizing the state level functions in their respective states.

ITBP is pioneer in the field of rafting. Till date Force has conducted 20 major rafting expeditions in various rivers of the country including Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers. Mountaineering team of ITBP is on its way to Mt Everest. It is an unique record that two teams of ITBP -one mountaineering team is attempting to conquer world highest Mt Everest and second –the rafting team is going to raft whole stretch of India’s biggest and holiest river Ganga.