New Delhi, Jan 25: The Chenab River of Jammu & Kashmir will be among the rivers honoured at the Republic Day Parade 2026, as India pays tribute to its river heritage by naming parade enclosures after major rivers, highlighting their cultural, ecological and civilisational significance. The initiative places the Chenab—one of the most important Himalayan rivers flowing through Jammu and Kashmir—at the heart of national celebrations on Kartavya Path.
According to an official statement issued by the Press Information Bureau, enclosures at the Republic Day Parade have been named after rivers flowing across the country, including Chenab, Jhelum, Ganga, Sindhu, Brahmaputra, Godavari, Narmada, Kaveri, Yamuna, Ravi, Sutlej and several others. The move symbolically recognises rivers as the lifeblood of India’s civilisation and repositories of shared cultural heritage.
As part of the celebrations, 163 community river conservationists, described as “water warriors”, will attend the parade as Special Guests of the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD & GR). These include participants from Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
A significant number of the invitees are Ganga Praharis—trained community volunteers working for biodiversity conservation and cleanliness of the Ganga under the National Mission for Clean Ganga in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India. Their work focuses on restoring the river’s ecological integrity and ensuring uninterrupted and clean flow.
In addition, private citizens and NGOs engaged in protecting aquatic fauna such as dolphins and turtles, and those involved in river conservation and community outreach, have also been invited to witness the parade.
Officials said the initiative recognises grassroots conservation efforts and reinforces the message of Jan Bhagidari, or people’s participation, in national development. The Special Guests will be seated in the Periyar enclosure.
Secretary, DoWR, RD & GR, V. L. Kantha Rao, will participate in the Republic Day समारोह from the Ghaghra enclosure. The invited conservationists will also interact with Union Jal Shakti Minister C. R. Patil and Ministers of State V. Somanna and Raj Bhushan Choudhry on January 27.
The initiative underscores the growing national focus on river conservation, community stewardship and the central role of rivers like the Chenab in India’s environmental and cultural landscape.
