India's 'Namami Gange'- river Ganga rejuvenation project- has been recognised as one among world's 10 most "ground-breaking" initiatives for restoration of natural ecosystems, according to a report released during the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15).

National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has won the "Public Water Agency of the Year" award at the Global Water Awards, 2019 by Global Water Intelligence.

• The award was received by G Ashok Kumar, Director General, Namami Gange, at the 15th Conference of the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) in Montreal, Canada on 14 December 2022.

• Namami Gange was selected from over 150 such initiatives from 70 countries across the globe. 

• They were selected under the banner of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, a global movement coordinated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

• Recognized initiatives, including Namami Gange, will now be eligible to receive UN support, funding or technical expertise.