Indian updates: No north Indian river fit for bathing: Study Yamuna One Of The Most Polluted Rivers

No north Indian river fit for bathing: Study

Yamuna One Of The Most Polluted Rivers

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 

Publication Date: 

25/12/2012

New Delhi: The famed rivers of India’s Gangetic plains are turning into “sewage”, threatening the life and health of millions of people dependent on them, warned a team of 11 environmental activists who cycled through the region covering around 1,800km in 27 days. 

    In the capital last week on way to their final stop, Dehradun, team members they crossed 24 rivers while cycling through north Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. 

    “Not one river was fit to bathe in. The water at many places resembled sewage water. Among the most polluted rivers we came across was the Yamuna in western UP, Varuna and Gandak,” said team leader Anil P Joshi, a Padma Shri-awardee who heads a Dehradun-based environmental NGO, HESCO. 

    “The growing pollution of rivers is a stark sign of wider ecological imbalance in the region,” he added. 
    The yatra aims to raise awareness about the need for keeping an account of India’s natural resources. The group is demanding that the government introduce an annual green measure called the ‘gross environmental product’. “Like the GDP for the economy, the GEP would monitor the health of India’s natural assets, showing whether these were being overexploited or not,” said Joshi. 

    It wasn’t just the rivers that the activists were worried about. They said none of the states they travelled through had achieved even half of India’s target of 33% area under forests. Bengal had 14.64%, Bihar 7.23%, UP 3.61% and Delhi 11.94%. 

    “Forests are vanishing in these states. And even the ones that survive are grade C forests, consisting of bushes rather than broad-leaved trees,” Joshi said. The team travelled through 31 districts, held 300 meetings and reached out to around 10,000 people. They interacted with 1,200 village youth through the yatra and found the 80% of them had not seen a forest. 

    The cyclists also made extensive notes on falling water table, polluted underground water and degradation of agricultural lands in various districts. 

    “We will compile a report of our observations, which will be sent to the Prime Minister’s Office and to all chief ministers,” Joshi said.

GREEN WARRIORS: A team of 11 environmental activists who cycled through the region covering around 1,800km in 27 days

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