Highlights
- The rally was organised on the occasion of International Women’s Day
- More stringent action to save the Yamuna was demanded in the rally
- More than 3,000 million litres of sewage is dumped into the Yamuna daily
New Delhi: Conservation, reduction of pollution and revival from the mouth of death; these were the principal demands of hundreds of women who gathered on the banks of the river Yamuna in Agra on International Women’s Day and demanded effective action to save the river from its presently polluted condition. The protest campaign was organised by the River Connect campaign, which has been instrumental in spreading awareness on the condition of the river and encouraging citizens to do their bit to reduce pollution in the Yamuna. The river Yamuna has long faced pollution and the cities of Agra and Delhi have been responsible for dumping untreated sewage in the river.
Hundreds of women participated in the rally, demanding that the government take proper steps to address pollution in the Yamuna. For long, River Connect campaign has been instrumental in mobilising the citizens of Agra to participate in activities which attempted to raise consciousness and awareness on the state of the Yamuna. The evening saw several discussions taking place on cleanup campaigns to be organised near the Yamuna banks in the future, as well as what the course of action should be to ensure that pollution in Yamuna remains under the check. The River Connect campaign has a history of bringing people together. On the occasion of Makar Sankranti in 2017, the campaign organised for a kite flying competition
Former Mayors Baby Rani and Anjula Singh Mahaur, several corporators, leaders from various political parties, animal rights activists, environmentalists and social activists joined in the Women’s Day celebrations at the river bank, and urged the state government to take effective steps to save the river. Earlier in the day, the National Green Tribunal slammed the Delhi Jal Board for reducing the river to a sewer. Delhi is responsible for 67 per cent of Yamuna’s pollution as 22 drains dump their untreated sewage water load of over 3,000 million litres daily. During the rally, several women activists pointed out that despite the Yamuna’s pathetic condition, the government is yet to take decisions on steps like formation of river police and implementing fines for polluting the river. Unless these are measures are introduced, the Yamuna will continue to resemble a polluted drain stretch more than the once crystal clear river it was.
Also Read: Yamuna Reduced To Sewer, National Green Tribunal Reprimands Delhi Jal Board
With inputs from IANS
