Agra: Despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pre-poll promises to voters in Agra and the holy cities of Mathura, Vrindavan of restoring the original glory of the Yamuna river, not a single baby step has been taken in this direction till date since 2014, say activists.
The Yamuna continues to stink, with its water being polluted by toxic effluents and waste from Delhi and upstream cities.
“Forget human beings, even historical monuments including the world heritage monument, the iconic Taj Mahal, along its bank, are not safe as pollutants in the river not only create visual pollution but also endanger the protective eco-ambience in the vicinity,” says environmentalist Devashish Bhattacharya.
“If people took the election rhetoric seriously it is not their fault. The public perception five years ago was that here was a party with a difference that would give top priority to basics, but alas that was not to be,” says green activist Shravan Kumar Singh. He recalled how Union Minister Nitin Gadkari had promised on several occasions that steamers and a ferry service would bring tourists from Delhi to Agra, within two years.
“When there is no water in the river, how does one expect a ferry service to be operational. Perhaps it would be prudent to organize “Desert Safaris” on the dry river bed in Agra,” says Ranjan Sharma, an activist.
The local administration claims more than 40 drains have been tapped. Municipal environment official Rajiv Rathi says waste liquid was now being treated at half a dozen STPPs in Agra, before being discharged in to the river.
“But the ground reality is vastly different,” counters activist Satyam Sharma of the River Connect Campaign. The Bhairon nala, adjacent to Etmauddaula Park, and the Mantola Nala, close to the Taj Mahal, flowing along the Fort, are good examples that expose the big lie,” adds eco-activist Chaturbhuj Tiwari.
“The problem is two-fold, qualitative and quantitative. One, the river is already dry, just a month after the fairly good monsoon rains this year,” explains Surendra Sharma, president of the Braj Mandal Heritage Conservation Society. (IANS)
