A day after the waterman of India, Rajendra Singh visited Matri Sadan and met Swami Gyan Swaroop Sanand who has been on a fast for the past several days, demanding unimpeded and clean flow of Ganga, and lent his full solidarity behind the cause he is espousing, the former Chief Minister and a veteran Congress leader Harish Rawat met the saint on Friday. Rawat was accompanied by the former municipal corporation chairman Satpal Brahmchari. He offered flowers to Sanand by way of lending his support to his crusade for the cause of the sacred river. While talking to the saint, on fast for the past fortnight, the Congress leader asked him why he was up in arms against the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Besides the Congress leader, a host of saints like Swami Harichetanand, Swami Sharad Puri and Baba Hathyogi visited Matri Sadan on Friday. Among the visitors were also Prof B D Joshi, an environmentalist and Purushoottam Sharma, a Gandhian. They also lent support to the cause Matri Sadan and Sanand are fighting for.
The former CM also appealed to the saint to end his fast, saying that the State Government would surely do something to have his demands met. Speaking to the media persons later, Rawat said that mining was going on unabated in the CM's own constituency Doiwala. He said that 80% of the water of Ganag and Yamuna is polluted. The Government must revive them as the polluted rivers Thames and Rhine were revived in Europe by water conservation drive, he said. The water bodies surrounding Ganga must be replenished too as part of the drive, he said, adding that during his stint as the Union Minister of water resources, he had helped revival 150 water bodies in the district which have again gone dry because of the nonchalance of the present Government. He also denied reports that the Congress Government had declared Ganga flowing through Har ki Paudi as a canal. “We have documents regarding the same which we produced before the High Court,” the former CM said.
Notably, the scientist-turned saint Sanand had written a letter to PM on February 24 and expressed his anger over the poor state of things despite the pledge taken by Modi on assuming charge as the PM. The saint shot off three more letters to the PM on the same emotive issue of Ganga. With the PM office keeping a studied silence on the matter he raised, Sanand embarked on his fast unto death June 22. Importantly, Sanand is a former member secretary in the central pollution control board and his contribution for the cause has been lauded by many.
Speaking to The Pioneer, Sanand said that Modi has taken the people for a ride over the issue all these years. “He spoke about it during the electioneering. After he turned PM following landslide victory he has grown mum. He is too busy now with the economic condition of the country to spare any thought to the Mother Ganga,” he said.
Dwelling more on the issue, he said that he had demanded immediate passage of a special legislation for Ganga in the Parliament, as proposed by the Ganga Mahasabha. “If the passage of the Bill is not possible now the Government should promulgate an ordinance to give effect to the proposed legislation,” he argued. Besides, checks should be imposed on illegal mining of sand and sandstone from Ganga, he said. The saint also demanded that hydro power projects and construction works along Alaknanda, Mandakini, Pinder, Dhauliganga and Bhagirathi must be stopped. “What is worrisome is that the chief engineers and other officials in the Ganga board have not the least reverence for Ganga. Those who are committed to the cause of the holy river should be allowed to man the board,” said the saint who has also a vast and rich engineering background.