New Delhi, Nov 2 (IANS): Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Monday launched the "Ganga Atlas: River of the Past" that documents the changes that the national river has gone over last half century.

The Ganga Atlas, developed by Professor Rajiv Sinha from IIT Kanpur, documents the changes in the Ganga over the past 5-6 decades in terms of channel morphology, land use and land cover, river dynamics and associated issues.

As part of this research project, funded by National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), IIT Kanpur has also developed a workflow that allows users to process and analyse declassified imagery of riverine environments at minimal cost and using open source software, a release from Jal Shakti Ministry said.

Shekhawat launched the Ganga Atlas at the 5th edition of 'Ganga Utsav' that began virtually and not only celebrate the glory of river Ganga but of all the rivers of the country, the release said.

Continuous Learning and Activity Portal (CLAP) developed by the NMCG in association with Tree Craze Foundation was also launched at the occasion.

Sharing the history and vision behind Ganga Utsav, Jal Shakti Secretary Pankaj Kumar said that the NMCG is continuously engaging with public through various activities throughout the year. "Ganga Quest was a huge success. CLAP will be an opportunity for people to participate in quiz and other activities throughout the year."