A working meeting was held in Rishikesh to further develop the proposal of declaring the Upper Ganga Region a World Heritage Site. The meeting was instrumentally led by H.H. Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswati (Founder of Ganga Action) and many experts, including the Program Director of UNESCO Mr. Ram Boojh, Padma Shree recipient and officer of the Golden Ark (Netherlands) Dr. Ranjit Bhargava, renowned environmentalist and activist Dr. Harshvanti Bisht, leading scientific expert Dr. D.S. Bhargava, and INTACH Coordinator Lokesh Ohri.
During the meeting a time-based plan of action was developed to appeal to and support the state and central Government of India to include the Upper Ganga Region in the nation’s nomination list for the next meeting of the World Heritage Committee.