Govindacharya flags off the Padyatra with call to save sacred river from pollution
Lok Sansad convener Ravi Shankar Tiwari pledges to clean Yamuna at any cost
BI News, New Delhi : It was a festive Saturday morning on the banks of river Yamuna in New Delhi. Leading nationalist thinker K.N. Govindacharya and Lok Sansad convener Ravi Shankar Tiwari along with other activists were seen busy discussing their agenda of pollution free river. Amid chanting of Vedic Mantras praising ‘Yamuna’s divine power , scores of people from all the walks life took pledge to clean the holy river from pollution at any cost. On this auspicious day of Sharad Purnima, renowned fasting saint Dada Guru Ji was gracing the occasion with his spiritual blessings elaborating the need to free Maa Yamuna from the shackles of pollution, degradation and filth. This day also marked as Spiritual leader Dada Guru ji started his 9 days long Yamuna Yatra from Delhi to Mathura to highlight the cause of sacred River Yamuna. He expressed displeasure with sorry state of affairs of the holy river.
It is K.N. Govindacharya, a leading thinker and a social, environmental and political activist who is leading torch bearer of Save the Yamuna campaign. He said, “ We worship our holy rivers Ganga and Yamuna as Goddess, then how can we allow them to be polluted.” According to him, “ The story of India is perhaps as old as the story of the River Ganga and Yamuna, which are the lifeline of India, a country of over a billion people that recently surpassed China in terms of the population to became the most populous country in the world. Therefore the issue of degradation and pollution of these Rivers has been not only an alarming one but also one that stirs the nation’s emotions because of the river’s unique bond with the peoples of India.”
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Lok Sansad convener Ravi Shankar Tiwari said, “ We will clean the river Yamuna at any cost. We will force the government to come forward with a roadmap of safeguarding our rivers. On November 30, a historic rally has been organised at Ramlila Maidan, Delhi to raise the river protection issue. Successive governments apathy and inaction has been a major cause of river pollution in India. We will compel govt to act decisively.”
Tiwari added, “ During the course of 185 Kms long Yamuna yatra, Dada Guru Ji will establish a series of Nadi Samvad (River Dialogue) with people to get them educated about the religious and cultural importance of Yamuna. Rivers and their waters have a great significance in bestowing auspiciousness to the world as expressed in the Apah Suktam of the Rig Veda. From October 28 to November 5, 2023, Dada Guru ji will talk with people along the banks of River Yamuna to comprehend, investigate and explore the vital issue of saving rivers from pollution and degradation. Yamuna Yatra will culminate in the historic town of Mathura. During his walk, 1100 days long fasting saint will interact with the farmers, villagers, students, local communities and other stakeholders of rural India along the banks of the River Yamuna.
Why in News
POLLUTION : Long ago, the waters of Yamuna were pristine blue but today the Yamuna is considered to be one of the severely polluted rivers in the world. The Yamuna is particularly polluted downstream of New Delhi, the capital of India, which dumps about 58% of its waste into the river. The most pollution comes from Wazirabad, from where Yamuna enters Delhi. About 57 million people depend on Yamuna waters as it accounts for more than 70% of Delhi’s water supplies, but today it is also referred to as ‘Delhi’s dying holy river’.
Yamuna is the second largest tributary of River Ganga and the longest tributary of India, it originates from Yamunotri glacier in Uttarakhand and flows across seven states and merges with the river Ganga at Sangam in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.
Religious Significance: Yamuna is worshipped in Hinduism as the ‘Goddess Yamuna’ and as per Hindu mythology is the daughter of the Sun and sister of the Yama the ‘God of Death’. It is common practice for people to bathe in the sacred waters to rid oneself of sins and the last rites of the dead are also performed at its banks.
Socioeconomic Significance: It helps create the highly fertile alluvial Yamuna- in the Indo-Gangetic plain. Nearly 57 million people depend on the Yamuna’s waters. With an annual flow of about 10,000 cubic billion metres, the river accounts for more than 70% of Delhi’s water supply.
