Narmada Heritage Deserves UNESCO World Heritage Status, Says Prof Manvi Seth

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Vice-Chancellor of the Indian Institute of Heritage, Prof Manvi Seth has said that the Narmada River’s rich heritage and the civilisation nurtured by it deserve to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Seth was speaking in a national discourse on the tangible and intangible heritage of the Narmada region at the Madhya Pradesh Tribal Museum in the city on Wednesday. She stressed the need to elevate the heritage of the Narmada to a global platform.

Abhay Mishra, a researcher and writer specialising in rivers, said the Narmada River is not merely a watercourse; it is a rare spiritual and scientific heritage. “The Narmada holds a significance that is far more spiritual and scientific than it is merely religious; yet, we have failed to preserve its spiritual values,” Mishra said.

He noted that 1,500 species of aquatic life once found in this river are no longer recorded - a situation that poses a grave threat to the environment. He emphasised that the river will not be saved merely by chanting slogans or showcasing its aesthetic beauty; rather, it requires intensive research.