Besides a cyclothon and musical performances, over 3,000 people will take up a mega-cleaning activity at Yamuna ghats to draw attention towards the plight of the river, reports Karan Bhardwaj
You might have shielded your mouth umpteen number of times while crossing the stinking and rotting Kudsia ghat (read all ghats) of Yamuna in Capital. Over the years, the deplorable condition of the once upon a time mighty river has just gone from bad to worse. However, in a unique initiative to highlight the plight of the sacred watercourse and need for its immediate melioration, a shramdaan called ‘We For Yamuna’ will be held at the ghats of the river on December 14. It’s being jointly organised by NGO Swechha, United Nations Volunteers, United Nations Development Program and Ministry of Youth Affairs with support from several civil society organisations and other groups.
“There are multiple issues related to Yamuna which can be sorted by government only. We are organising a symbolic event, getting people closer to the river and making everyone realise that the river demands immediate action,” says Sunny Verma, deputy director of Swechha.
There will be a gamut of activities including cleaning up of the ghats, musical concert and a cyclothon. Over 1,000 cyclists will flock through the city roads early morning to spread the word. A major activity has been planned at Kudsia ghat where over 2,000 volunteers will collect the garbage. Musical bands like Swarathma and Tritha and Rajasthani folk singer Mame Khan will be performing.
“Yamuna is the most polluted river in India. We feel horrified and even escape to take a dip during the religious dos. Besides the permanent creepy silt, there are toxins and dead aquatic animals floating in and around. I feel saddened that people who lament about the stream while crossing the bridges do not come forward and protest. It’s not impossible to retain the lost the glory of this river. It just requires honest intention and dedication beyond selfish motives,” says Sachit Kochhar from North Delhi Cyclists group. Almost 60 million people across the course are dependent on the river.
As per the figures, with an annual flow of about 10,000 cubic billion metres (cbm) and usage of 4,400 cbm (of which irrigation constitutes 96 per cent), the river accounts for more than 70 per cent of Delhi’s water supplies. The water quality of Yamuna remains relatively good until it enters Delhi through Wazirabad barrage where around 15 drains are merged into its water till it reaches Okhla barrage. Some of the drains from Najafgarh and Shahadra areas are the most polluted ones. More than 80 per cent of the sewage thrown into the river goes untreated.
“The most powerful people of Delhi see no threat from the river pollution and they find no gains from its betterment so they are not interested in it,” says Sunny, who has been organising educational tours on the river as a part of the campaign. These tours help participants understand the river more up close.
“During the tours, we spend six days in the hills, where Yamuna is originating and five days in plain areas. We travel across the stream to see where it is abused the most. In the last 14 years, we have done over 20 yatras,” he said.
Apart from all the activities, a documentary called Jiji Visha (Desire to live) will also be screened. The film documents the journey of the river and how it is manipulated at different regions. Analita Seth, a student of Mass Communication from Symbiosis Institute of Media & Communication, Pune, who hails from lucknow, was shocked when she first checked into the ghats. “Unfortunately, when I visited DU campus to talk more about the issue, most of the students were not even aware of the damage that has been caused to the river and its resources. So I decided to take part in this campaign to educate more and more youngsters,” she said.
It is the first time, according to Sunny, that the government has officially come forward to take part in Shramdaan. With a new regime drawing a slew of intiatives to clean up rivers, activists and environmentalists are hopeful of a better tomorrow. The Delhi government has announced an ambitious project to revive the Yamuna eliminating the river of pollutants and stop discharging of all sorts of effluents into it. The Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari has sought technical help from Netherlands to enable a cruise trip from Delhi to Agra.