New Delhi, Aug 14 (PTI) Fifty participants of the Mission Amrit Sarovar -- a campaign to rejuvenate water bodies across the country -- have been invited to Red Fort as special guests for the 77th Independence Day celebrations, the Union Rural Development Ministry said on Monday.

Participants from 19 states and Union Territories, along with their spouses, have been invited as special guests, the ministry said in a statement.

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"This is a unique initiative to honour and recognise the contribution of the rural community to the nation's water conservation (efforts)," the ministry said.

The group, which is in Delhi at present, visited the National War Memorial, India Gate and the Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya on Monday.

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The group is part of around 1,800 people invited from different sectors from across the country to be a part of the Independence Day celebrations. The initiative has been taken in line with the government's vision of 'Jan Bhagidari'.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Mission Amrit Sarovar in April 2022 to develop and rejuvenate 75 water bodies in each district of the country, as part of 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav'.

More than 50,000 water bodies have been developed under the mission over the past year, according to the ministry.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)