Lucknow, Jan 14 (IANS): Students of the Uttar Pradesh Secondary Education Board (UPSEB) will now study the Ganga conservation subject at the high school and intermediate level.

This has been included as a subject at the initiative of the Namami Gange Department and Uttar Pradesh will be the first state to do so.

According the government spokesman, a proposal to include Ganga conservation and prevention of water pollution in the curriculum has been prepared and the UPSEB has sent it to a committee of Hindi experts for consideration.

Once the committee approves the proposal, the subject will be included in the syllabus.

Students will learn ways to save the holy water of the Ganga from getting polluted and the journey of the Ganga from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal.

The idea is to link the Ganga cleanliness campaign with the youth and spread Prime Minister Narendra Modi's concept of 'Nirmal and Aviral Ganga' among children.

The initiative, said officials, will not only enhance the knowledge of children, but will also give a new momentum to the Ganga cleanliness.

The Namami Gange and the state government's rural water supply department have directed the secondary education department to implement new courses and activities related to the Ganga pollution in schools and also make it compulsory for students to take part in Ganga cleanliness programme.