The World River Day was celebrated near Satkosia in the Mahanadi river on Sunday.Speaking on the occasion, NGO NEWS vice-chairman Sushil Kumar Pradhan said, “World Rivers Day is observed to take stock of how we are treating our rivers and communities depending on them.”
He raised concern that the situation of rivers was deteriorating. The construction of dams, hydropower projects, establishment of industries, pollution and encroachments are destroying the ecosystem of rivers, he said and called upon the people to save rivers and their ecology.
Among others Tikarapada Wildlife Range Officer Benudhar Behera and local sarpanch Chandramani Dehury spoke. Around 100 village leaders and SHG leaders attended.
Notably, Satkosia Gorge of the Mahanadi is a natural heritage site and the Government has declared the area as a tiger reserve, elephant reserve and gorge sanctuary. It is also undertaking various ecological conservation and nature restoration programmes.