The issue of Godavari pollution dominated the fifth national water convention held at Jaipur, where Magsaysay award winner water conservationist Rajendra Singh appealed to the participants to save the river on a priority basis.
At the five-day convention in Bikampura last week, Singh urged the representatives of various states to join hands and support the cause of the river Godavari in Nashik on the backdrop of the Kumbh Mela 2015.
Activists, environment lovers and experts had detailed discussions with Singh regarding river pollution in their respective states. Cases of rivers like the Ganga, the Yamuna, the Brahmaputra, the Koshi and the Mandakini, against which activists have protested and filed court cases in the past, were discussed. But it was the river Godavari which took precedence over the others, considering the legal cases pending at the district and high courts against the government agencies responsible for river pollution and the numerous protests by activists for over a year.
Representatives of the Nashik-based NGO, Godavari Gatarikaran Virodhi Manch, which has filed cases against the government for the Godavari pollution, were also present at the gathering and were congratulated by the Magsaysay winner for their efforts.
“The five resolutions passed at the convention included preventing pollution of rivers all over the country, with particular emphasis on the Godavari, on the backdrop of the forthcoming Kumbh,” said Rajesh Pandit of the Godavari Gatarikaran Virodhi Manch.
The resolutions included ‘save the rivers from the sewer’ (sewage water is being flowed into the rivers without treatment), and ‘support Godavari Gatarikaran Virodhi Manch’. Singh urged activists from all over the country to involve themselves in the movement and support the Manch as the next Kumbh Mela in Nashik will see pilgrims from all over the country attending it.
“The activists unanimously decided to support the cause of the Godavari and support us proactively,” said Pandit.
Another resolution was to travel along the periphery of the river basin through the six states to study, understand and to create awareness regarding problems of pollution, to mobilise people and invite them area-wise to Nashik by forming a river mahapanchayat (grand panchayat) and to form a children’s panchayat and, thereafter, a parliament in schools of these villages. The six states are Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Tamil Nadu.
“One resolution was to revive the dead rivers. We studied the seven rivers that have been revived by Singh in Rajasthan and tried to figure out how best to improve the Godavari. All these seven rivers have their own panchayats in the villages there. Unless these panchayats pass a resolution, no development can be done. They also decide which crop is to be grown there as per the soil condition,” Pandit said.
The fifth resolution emphasised the role of the administration and the government. Since the rivers belong to everyone in nature – humans, animals and birds – the officials and government play a vital role in saving them.
src: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nashik/Godavari-cause-gets-national-support/articleshow/22353920.cms