The work of cleaning the Ganga river and reconstruction in disaster-affected areas should complement each other, said activists of Uttarakhand Sarvoday Mandal and Nadi Bachao Abhiyan after a meeting in Uttarkashi. The activists said that the work of stopping the drainage of sewage from disaster affected villages, settlements and municipal areas directly in to the Bhagirathi should be undertaken with the people living in these areas. While constructing safety walls along rivers for disaster management, no scope should be left for draining waste into the river directly from nearby settlements. Though nullahs will carry rainwater from settlements into the river, this should not be linked to toilets.
Every family living along the banks of the Bhagirathi should be provided a toilet to prevent contamination of mountain streams and gorges flowing through villages. Bodies being cremated on the banks of the Bhagirathi should be burnt completely to ensure that no body part ends up in the river. Electric crematoriums should also be provided in such places. The sewage treatment plans of municipal bodies should be constructed in the middle of rivers while the dumping of waste from slaughter houses into the river should also be stopped. Steps should also be taken to stop the waste generated in hospitals from being dumped in the rivers and an efficient system should be made for disposing such waste scientifically. Environmental activist Suresh Bhai said that simply cleaning the Bhagirathi at Uttarkashi will not suffice as it is also necessary to clean up the dozens of gorges and streams draining into the Bhagirathi between Gangotri and Uttarkashi. A Namami Gange monitoring committee should be formed for making the Bhagirathi clean from Gangotri to Uttarkashi with representatives of voluntary organisations and officials of departments concerned.
There have been repeated floods, earthquakes and landslides in this region since 1977. Since the 1991 earthquake with its epicenter in Uttarkashi, geologists have been stressing on the need for considering the cracks resulting from seismic activity while undertaking developmental works. “Following the disaster last year, the government did not inform the public about the timeframe for completion of the reconstruction and other works which has fueled dissatisfaction among the people. Following the recent flood in the Asi Ganga valley here, about Rs 10 lakh was spent on transporting ration valued at Rs 60,000 to the people here whereas the government had earlier decided that ration would be stocked three months in advance in disaster prone areas,” he pointed out.