A group of 250 spiritual heads representing most of the religious sects and Hindu organizations across India have launched a "Save the Ganga campaign" in New Delhi.

The campaign, "Awiral Ganga, Nirmal Ganga: From Gangotri to Ganga Sagar", aims to clean up the river all the way from its source in the Himalayas to where it drains into the Bay of Bengal at Ganga Sagar in West Bengal by reducing pollution and demanding national heritage status for the waterway.

The agenda of the umbrella organization Ganga Raksha Manch includes penalizing polluters; preventing drainage of industrial and domestic effluents into the river; opposing the proposed Ganga Express Highway by the Uttar Pradesh government; lobbying for the relocation of industries along the river bank and opposing the further expansion of the Tehri Dam project in Uttarakhand.

The 250-member Marg Darshak Mandal, or the advisory committee comprising the religious leaders, will advise the Ganga Raksha Manch on how to make the campaign effective.

Senior Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Ashok Singhal and yoga guru Baba Ramdev are at the committee’s helm.

As part of the campaign, pressure groups across the country will hold rallies on September 18 and march to the offices of the district collectors and district magistrate to submit charters listing the demands of the Ganga Raksha Manch.