News coverage of Nirmal Niranjana Trust and Namami Niranjana Abhiyan, in Indian and international media.
Media coverage of Nirmal Niranjana Trust's river conservation work, international awareness campaigns, and the Namami Niranjana Abhiyan initiative. Summaries below are paraphrased from each report; clippings are shown for reference.
Nirmal Niranjana Trust General Secretary Suresh Singh met Dr. Raj Bhuvan Chaudhary, Minister of State for Jal Shakti, at his Delhi residence to discuss inviting an international Buddhist conference to Bodh Gaya. The report notes the Trust's ongoing international awareness road shows and its Niranjana Deepotsav events in Bodh Gaya.
The Director General of the National Mission for Clean Ganga led a meeting on scientific strategies for reviving the Niranjana river, covering plans to restore 21 water bodies across Gaya and Chatra districts in the first phase, with a focus on community participation and sustainable water management.
Around 11,000 lamps were lit at Maya Sarovar garden as part of a Deepotsav to raise awareness about keeping the Niranjana river clean. Buddhist monks from Bodh Gaya's monasteries and local residents joined the cultural programme, with an estimated 5,000 attendees.
Bihar Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar inaugurated the Namami Niranjana Abhiyan at the Mahabodhi Cultural Centre, Bodh Gaya, speaking about the loss of water in the Falgu river due to tree-cutting and pollution along its banks. He also launched a 'Jal Chetna Yatra' (water awareness journey).
A Namami Gange team from the Ministry of Jal Shakti inspected the Niranjana (Falgu) river in Bodh Gaya and Chatra. Officials announced that an IIT Kanpur team would study river revival within three months, covering check-dam construction, desilting, and sand-extraction limits, in coordination with Bihar and Jharkhand officials.
The Mahabodhi Society of India, IIM, and social workers came together to support the Niranjana river recharge mission, known as 'Nirmal Niranjana'. A Ranchi divisional forest officer proposed riverside nurseries and sapling plantation, and IIM director Vinita Sahay pledged technical assistance and awareness support.
A special Namami Gange team from the Ministry of Jal Shakti held a site inspection and meeting in Bodh Gaya regarding the revival of the Niranjana and Falgu rivers, attended by officials from Bihar and Jharkhand across irrigation, groundwater, and flood-control departments. The report notes a ₹15 crore allocation for a river survey.
A two-day Niranjana (Falgu) Parv opened at the Mahabodhi Society of India hall in Bodh Gaya, with Padma Shri awardees Sudha Varghese and Pawan Singh Chauhan as guests. Suresh Singh spoke on the river's significance, and IIM students performed a street play raising public awareness about water conservation.
Spiritual figure Pilot Baba visited a Bodh Gaya monastery and, after learning about the Niranjana River Recharge Mission, pledged his support for the initiative during a meeting with mission members, hotel association representatives, and monastery monks.
Nirmal Niranjana Trust and the Mahabodhi Society of India jointly organised a Deepotsav (lamp festival) and cultural programme at Maya Sarovar, symbolising the transition from darkness to light. Performers from Sri Lanka and Kolkata joined local schoolchildren in a cultural presentation themed around the Buddha's life.
As part of the Trust's international awareness campaign, a road show was held in Guangzhou, China, with local Buddhist volunteers participating. The report notes similar awareness campaigns previously conducted in Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand as part of the effort to build global awareness of the Niranjana river.
Tour operators in Bodh Gaya raised concerns about sand extracted from the Niranjana river being dumped along roads near the Mahabodhi Temple, causing traffic congestion and safety hazards for visitors. The report quotes local tour operators calling for regulated sand storage away from the main pilgrimage routes.
