1,200 kids paint their ideas of ‘Namami Gange’

Tribune News Service

Haridwar, December 3

More than 1,200 students from 26 schools of Haridwar, Rishikesh and Roorkee participated in the 24th Inter-School Drawing Competition held at Delhi Public School, Ranipur, here today.

The theme of the event this year was ‘Namami Gange’, with a view to generate awareness about the increasing pollution level in the Ganga, and sensitising the younger generation to ensure that the holy river’s sanctity is restored.

Noted artist Pramod Kulshrestha was the chief guest at the event. He urged students to highlight the plight of the river which we regarded as a deity but did not hesitate to pollute through known and unknown means.

Delhi Public School principal KC Pandey said art made a person softer and more pure as it was without any prejudice and was a gift of God.

He urged people to come forward and ensure that the purity of the Ganga was restored. Pandey said the youth had a pivotal role to play as they could change the mindset of the society and easily sensitise people on the issue.

“We have kept ‘Namami Gange’ theme keeping this in mind and the varied creations and thoughts we saw in today’s contest have surprised us. Children from the age of 6 to 16 years all know about the rising pollution level in the Ganga and have also suggested measures to lessen it. They know the importance of mother Ganga in our religious-social-cultural aspects and also the harmful means that are polluting it,” Pandey added.

Rina and Anusha, teachers of Sai Sanskar School, said the event was highly successful in attaining its objective as children were seen discussing the harmful ways that were polluting the Ganga. Namami Gange theme was a better way to generate awareness among the younger lots.

Ashok Gupta, Coordinator of the event and Head of Arts Department, DPS, said for the past 23 years the competition had been organised successfully. Every year, the theme was taken keeping in mind the current societal scenario and mindset of children.

The participating schools were host DPS, Ranipur; Kids Zee, Mount Litera, Uddeshwar Public School, Sai Sanskar School, Bal Bharati, Bal Mandir, BHEL, Vidya Mandir, Sector-1, Vidya Mandir, Sector-5, Gyan Deep, BHEL, Acharyakulam, Patanjali Yogpeeth, BML Munjal, Gayatri Vidyapeeth Shantikunj, Shivalik Heights, Shri Ram Vidya Mandir-Shyampur, Cascade International, Jawahar Navodaya, Roshanabad, St Marx, Roorkee; Achivers Public School, Kankhal, Euro Kids, DSB, Rishikesh, St Mary’s, Jwalapur, Royal Public School, Guru Nanak Academy, BHEL, Saraswati Vidya Mandir, BHEL, Sanskriti School and DPS, Daulatpur.