Gangotri to Ganga Sagar Walk – Meet Sanjit Das who spreads awareness
IAs the state gears up for the Gangasagar Mela following all COVID protocols, one man is relentlessly trying his best to spread awareness from Gangotri to Gangasagar. Single-use plastic products (SUPPs) may epitomize convenience, but with the damage they cause through production, distribution and litter, they are a major threat to environmental and human health. Vast majority of plastic waste enters trans-boundary rivers from land, making plastic pollution both a local and regional problem.
Sanjit Das started his journey from the Gangotri Glacier in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand 98 days ago and reached Gangasagar on January 5 this year. He walked 25 to 30 kilometers on an average per day. How was the experience for him? Das is exhilarated to share his experiences. He claims to have interacted directly with a total of 1 lakh 80 thousand people during his walk.
The pursuit of sustainable development and environmental conservation requires the public to be sufficiently sensitized about the multiple dimensions of environment and development. Awareness and understanding of these issues provide the basis and rationale for commitment and meaningful action towards sustainable development. Sanjit Das, 64, a resident of Tribeni in Hooghly district, is an environmentalist who passionately believes in this motto and has taken it upon himself to sensitize the masses on the need to work for a better and sustainable environment for our future generation.
Last year, Das resolved to campaign for a plastic free environment and decided to trace the path of Ganga, right from its source at Gaumukh in Uttarakhand to its confluence at the Bay of Bengal at Gangasagar, trekking a distance of 2,439 kms. Das wanted to track down the holy river’s incredible journey through the very heart of the country, and witness first-hand how the river is getting heavily polluted with micro-plastics, which is a major source of water pollution.
Das was determined to do his bit to try and reverse the harm perpetrated on the ancient and holiest of rivers. He decided to undertake this perilous and grueling trek across hills and plains, passing through several states of the country. However, this was no easy task. Das’s family realized his missionary zeal and agreed to support his quest. This provided him the impetus to undertake the journey on feet. Das worked in a private company before his superannuation four years ago and the call of the mountains is something he cannot ignore. He is an avid adventurer and mountaineer who has already set feet on several mountain peaks in the Himalayas, including Baljouri, M30 and Kedardom Pit.
Sanjit Das, 64, a resident of Tribeni in Hooghly district, is an environmentalist who passionately believes in this motto and has taken it upon himself to sensitize the masses on the need to work for a better and sustainable environment for our future generation.
He began preparations about six months before he undertook the journey. He would carry a heavy backpack and walk for 10 kilometres on an average daily. He started his journey from the Gangotri Glacier in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand 98 days ago and reached Gangasagar on January 5 this year. He walked 25 to 30 kilometers on an average per day. How was the experience for him? Das is exhilarated to share his experiences. He claims to have interacted directly with a total of 1 lakh 80 thousand people during his walk. He requested them to be more proactive and plant trees and ban all forms of plastic in a last-ditch effort to save the environment for the next generation.
Sanjit Das decided to undertake this perilous and grueling trek across hills and plains, passing through several states of the country. However, this was no easy task. Das’s family realized his missionary zeal and agreed to support his quest. This provided him the impetus to undertake the journey on feet.
Das carried his own tent in his backpack that he would set on areas where he would get access to water and electricity. He is full of praise for the locals who always cooperated with him. He also lived in open areas adjoining police stations, bus stands, dhaba, temple et al. He carried the national flag in his bag proudly. He says strangers from different states went out of their way to connect with him and encourage him on his mission. It was their support and enthusiasm that kept this 64-year-old ‘young man’ going. He ends his mission at Gangasagar and feels right now this is an extremely important venue for his awareness programme as thousands of devotees will land up in this place soon and start littering the river mouth.
