Polluters don’t care for Supreme Court or the NGT !!!

River Rights Activists Demand white paper on River Cleaning projects

By Brij Khandelwal

Agra July 22 (IANS)

A quarter century of environmental activism, and a series of judicial interventions by the apex court, has not fundamentally changed the ecological conditions in the Taj Trapezium Zone, spread over 10, 400 sq km. The air pollution level continues to remain alarming, affecting humans and stones both.

River activists Sunday night demanded urgent steps to save Yamuna, slowly dying due to pollution and lack of water.

Not just life, even stone heritage were under threat. Tourism was badly hit and the health of the locals was in peril, they said.

Recommendations of experts committees were gathering dust and the Supreme Court orders blatantly ignored. Shifting orders for dairies, dhobi ghats, cremation sites, petha units, had been shelved. Transport companies emitting pollutants on the Yamuna Kinara road, have not been shifted either. The National Green Tribunal was struggling with its orders on clearing encroachments on Yamuna flood-plains. After four years of dilly dallying even the boundaries of the flood plains had not been clearly demarcated, the campaigners charged.

Vested interests had colluded to usurp precious land in the eco-sensitive Soor Sarovar area, along the river, they alleged.

The people’s conference held at the Etmauddaula view-point park, along the river, was attended by environmentalists, heritage conservationists and green activists, who collectively lamented apathy of elected Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha members towards Yamuna, the life line of the city.

River Connect Campaigners said the dry and highly polluted Yamuna was a constant threat to the safety of Mughal monuments like the Taj Mahal and Etmauddaula, whose foundations needed continuous moisture, and a pollution free ambience.

In a resolution they reminded union transport minister Nitin Gadkiri of his promise to start ferry service for tourists between Delhi and Agra. BJP president Amit Shah had promised in his pre-election speech at Agra College ground, that Yamuna cleaning would be taken up as a top priority after the elections. Even prime minister Narendra Modi had spoken of steps to save the Yamuna. Yogi Adityanath, UP chief minister having announced construction of a barrage, downstream of the Taj Mahal, had suddenly developed cold feet, speakers at the conference alleged.

The River Activists demanded a comprehensive national Rivers Policy and a Central Rivers Authority.

Green activist Shravan Kumar Singh said despite persistent demands, so far no initiative had been taken to desilt and dredge the river bed which due to pollutants had become hard preventing seepage and percolation of water.

Environmentalist Chaturbhuj Tiwari said “though the Supreme Court had categorically directed ban on entry of cattle in the river and shifting of dhobis (washermen) polluting the river, no effort had been made by the district authorities in this direction.”

The conference demanded a white paper on the expenses incurred by various government agencies on cleaning Yamuna between Delhi and Agra. A resolution passed urged all NGOs, voluntary groups and environmentalists to come on a common platform to launch a bigger people’s movement to save rivers and other water bodies.