Incessant flow of water in the Narmada depends on the density of forests on both the banks of the river. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said this at a Jan Samvad programme held at Sudania on Sunday.
He said that the rivers of the state like the Tawa and Betwa rivers have dried up due to the blind felling of trees in the forests. Water can be seen in these rivers only in the rainy season. The work of conservation of these rivers will commence along with the Narmada river. He said that even if the rainfall is good, efforts to preserve the rain water should be made. People will have to be inspired for water literacy. Water and its cleanliness is possible only when we develop love and respect towards water in our hearts.
Chief Minister Chouhan said that we have wasted the efforts of our ancestors towards conservation of water. We have destroyed wells and ponds and have exploited the resources available on the Earth for our selfish interests. Our rivers are drying up.
He said that the objective of raj dharma is to solve serious problems along with immediate problems. The participation of the general public is also a must. Vidhan Sabha Speaker Sitasaran Sharma, Public Works Minister Rampal Singh, Sant Kamal Kishore Maharaj and Film Actor Vivek Oberoi were also present at the programme.
Chouhan said that girls were a storehouse of renewable energy. Daughters are devis, and they must be given due respect. If daughters don’t exist, nature won’t exist. Talking about Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao Chouhan said that along with giving priority to women in government jobs, there will be 50 per cent recruitments of women as teachers and 33 percent women will be recruited in police department.
Chouhan said that government will pay the fees for higher education of students who acquire more than 75 percent in 12th Board exam. The Chief Minister made the citizens present at the progamme resolve to bring awareness towards conservation of Narmada. The Chief Minister performed the pujan of Narmada Kalash, Dhwaj and kanyas. Beti Bachao, literacy and deaddiction has also been linked with the Narmada Seva Yatra in Madhya Pradesh. All liquor shops within 5 km radius of the Narmada banks will be closed down from April 1 in the state.
Kapri Maharaj from Pushkar gave his blessings to the Narmada conservation campaign by the Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
Actor Vivek Oberoi said that the efforts of the Narmada Yatra should be adopted by other states of the country also.
Yatra welcomed in traditional way
Women in traditional attires welcomed the Narmada Seva Yatra today with kalash on their heads at Sudania village. Up- Yatras from Bhopal and Sehore district also joined the yatra.
A matter of faith not mind
Women who came to join the “Namami Devi Narmade” –Seva Yatra took the holy dip at the Narmada in the afternoon. The women’s group transformed the atmosphere festive at the Sudania Ghat. They said that there is no particular time for taking a dip in the holy river of Narmada.