Date: 27 September 2014

Type: News

Source: The Times of India

Keywords: Yamuna, World Rivers Day

Mathura: Activists have started mobilizing support for their November 2 march to Delhi to demand action on Yamuna plan, although union minister for water resources Uma Bharti who was in Mathura recently had promised drastic measures to contain pollution of Yamuna.

Even before the monsoon officially withdraws from this part of India, the water level in river Yamuna has gone down several feet and islands have re-appeared in the river bed.

Locals fear an acute water scarcity in the coming months. They are already battling a serious power crisis.

"This time around last year, the river was in spate. Due to poor management and lack of storage capacity, all the rain water has gone waste." Local activist Sri Nivas said, "We could have diverted the water in the Yamuna towards the canal system or to the community ponds in the Braj area."

A Yamuna "pradooshan mahayagna" was performed earlier in the week at Shringar ghat and representatives of various voluntary agencies, Purohit Maha Sangh, Chaturvedi Samaj attended it. The Teerth Purohit Mahasangh members said they were mobilizing public support for their mass agitation in early November. "The central government has to be reminded of its promises to clean up the Yamuna and release our share of water from the Hathinikund barrage upstream (in Haryana)," one of them said.

The problem of Yamuna and other rivers in India will be in focus again on the World Rivers Day. Millions of people around the world will participate in the 10th annual World Rivers Day on Sunday. With many of the world’s rivers facing severe and increasing threats associated with climate change, pollution, and industrial development, more than 70 countries are participating in this year’s festivities. ###