The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, in partnership with Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, and Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation will provide support to five states of the country to make all villages along the banks of the Ganga open defecation-free.
The states are Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. There are 5,169 villages along the river Ganga that fall under 1,651 Gram Panchayats (GPs), 52 districts, and five states. The campaign, being a collaborative effort between the Swachh Bharat Mission, local youth leaders and the Namami Gange project - is being called ‘Swachh Yug, which translates into ‘the age of Swachh’.
The Ministry of Youth Affairs, under coordination of Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, will enlist support of youth agencies such as Bharat Scouts and Guides, Nehru Yuva Kendras and National Service Scheme.