MATHURA VRINDAVAN CLEANLINESS DRIVE

Mathura October 2

 

A large number of voluntary groups and central government employees today joined the national cleanliness drive in Mathura and Vrindavan, as also smaller towns like Goverdhan and Kosi.

 

"Though symbolic, but the message is loud and clear. For lasting benefits some mechanism has to be evolved to ensure continuity," said a temple priest Ram Sewak of Goverdhan. He however lamented the lack of commitment in the UP state government officials. Police stations could have joined the campaign.

 

In Vrindavan members of the Braj Vrindavan Alliance and Friends of Vrindavan mobolised activists to clean up the railway station. Jagan Nath Poddar said after the drive, "this station has heritage value and has to be conserved. We have cleaned the platform, with support from the railway officials." Another local group of enthusiasts carried out a cleanliness drive at the Yamuna ghat by picking up trash. The students of  Bhaktivedanta Gurukul and the International School (ISKCON) joined the programme at the Vrindavan railway station.  Hundreds of  baskets of garbage were removed by the students with the support from the ‘Friends of Vrindavan’ volunteers. The locals also joined the drive to encourage the students.

Dhananjay Gautam a local priest said that the Vrindavan Railway Station should be developed as a heritage station. The toilets are never opened and cleaned. Vrindavan is becoming a tourist destination for the pilgrims. Its Railway station should be developed in a way which could attract more tourists to this pilgrimage town. Vrindavan should be connected with the other pilgrimage towns through the railways.

V.K. Dwivedi, the Assistant Commercial Manager of the Railways administered the oath to the railways staffs present at  the station, the locals present there and the students of Gurukula. V.K. Singh, the Reservation Supervisor of the Vrindavan station was also present . 

Jagannath Poddar, Director of ‘Friends of Vrindavan’, said legal provisions to punish those who litter around should be invoked and Rule 2000 for the muncipal bodies, as directed by the Supreme Court, relating to segregation of garbage at the source should be strictly enforced.

The Bhartiya Janata Party workers cleaned up the Yamuna ghats in Mathura. Central government officials were administered oath of cleanliness and some schools also held programmes to sensitise students on the role of community hygiene.

 

"Obviously many government officials were not happy to come to their offices for the programmes, particularly those who were planning a long break from work. This was perhaps the first time after independence that government offices were open and attendance was recorded," said a school teacher Hari Dutt. Some banks too organised cleanliness programmes.

 

Without any long term planning and institutional arrangements, a national drive of this nature over hyped, can not yield any lasting benefits, cynics said at a programme in a school in government school. "They have not offered any solutions to the mounting garbage problem, the problem of landfill sites, the recycling units. How will the programme be sustained over a period and why the state governments are so cold to this drive. These are some of the grey areas that need to be addressed," said activist Madhu Sudan Sharma, a social activist of Mathura.