IIM Bodh Gaya organised “Riverathon - Save Niranjana”, a marathon to raise awareness among people to contribute to the conservation of Niranjana River in Bihar.

Pragati-the CSR committee spearheaded the organizing of marathon as part of IIM Bodh Gaya’s annual fest “Elegante” scheduled to be held from 26th to 28th January, 2024 with the State Bank of India as the title sponsor.

Shri Ashish Bharti, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Gaya was the chief guest of the event present along with Ms. Anita Singh, former head of Medical Affairs, India and South Asia; and Dr. Vinita S. Sahay - Director of IIM Bodh Gaya, together they flagged off the marathon.

SSP stressed upon the significance and urgency of the conservation of Niranjana river and also called for feedback from professors and students of IIM Bodh Gaya to suggest implementable initiatives to the local administration to contribute to the initiative in the long run.

The director of IIM Bodh Gaya, Prof. Vineeta S. Sahay mentioned Riverathon is a special medium to reach the people about the ongoing campaign for the conservation of Niranajana River and to make students aware about their health.

The marathon started from IIM Bodh Gaya’s Academic Block to Maya Sarovar Lake through the Magadh University campus and back to the Academic block, covering a total distance of 8 km. Refreshments (food and beverages) were made available at all the stages of the run by Taj Darbar and SBI.

The marathon saw overwhelming participation with over 600 individuals including cadets from the Bihar Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development (BIPARD) and the Officers’ Training Academy (OTA), Gaya. The institute's faculty members, staff, and students took active part in the run with great enthusiasm. The spectacle of passion-driven individuals running on a fresh winter morning was mesmerizing for locals who saw the participants running. The event ended with prize distribution to the participants.

IIM Bodh Gaya has been working with the Ministry of Jal Shakti’s National Mission for Clean Ganga’s project and has planned several initiatives to revive river Niranjana.