Chief Minister, Harish Rawat, addressed close to over 200 participants of the Chalo Tapkeshwar campaign, an initiative by Doon-based students’ group, Making a Difference (MAD) by neing the difference .
The campaign was organised to create awareness about the dying streams of Dehradun and to attract the attention of authorities to the Tapkeshwar Temple, which is plagued by the problem of religious waste disposal. Braving the cold, hundreds of students marched from Mahinder Ground to Tapkeshwar Temple while shouting slogans to save the environment. Chief Minister Harish Rawat directly reached to Tapkeshwar.
At Tapkeshwar, the Founder-Chairperson of MAD, Abhijay Negi told the gathering about MAD’s efforts as regards to saving the dying streams of the valley. MAD pointed out that it was Harish Rawat who as the then Cabinet Minister for Water Resources had facilitated the study conducted by National Institute of Hydrology at Roorkee, which had stated that both Rispana and Bindal river could be revived.
The group consequently handed over to the Chief Minister, a copy of the report submitted by NIH Roorkee which was also known as Rispana a perennial stream and Bindal also having a substantial water carrying capacity. MAD also handed over to the CM their 24-page Tapkeshwar Mandir Report and 50-page Sahastradhara Pincnic Spots report both were prepared by the students after having conducted dozens of activities at both places.
In his address, the Chief Minister vowed to protect both the Bindal and Rispana streams. He took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and in fact, went on to say that inspiration from the Swacchh Bharat campaign comes more from MAD that from the Prime Minister since MAD has been at it since more than three years.
Responding favorably to MAD’s request for having a speedy and more transparent forum through which the group can convey its suggestions; the Chief Minister declared that he will open a special toll-free number/channel through which MAD can directly provide suggestions to the CM. Moreover, the CM was visibly moved by MAD’s long standing campaign and directed his aides to invite the whole team for tea at a suitable day/date.
CM further said that to honour the sanitation worker we have named as Paryavaran Mitra (environment friend) and river banks are being protected by the State. For this we have empowered Police to stop new encroachment along the river. We should take a pledge that we would keep our place neat and clean then we would be able make our city beautiful.