People form human chain along Yamuna to save river from heavy pollution

New Delhi, Jun 4 (PTI) A large number of people gathered along the Yamuna river banks to form a human chain on early Sunday morning under a citizen-centric initiative to save the river from heavy pollution.

Under the ‘Yamuna Sansad’ initiative, people formed the human chain at many places, including ITO, Wazirabad, Kalindikunj, Geeta Colony and Old Usmanpur, raising the demand to revive the river overburdened with sewage and industrial waste discharged in it.

A large number of representatives of social, cultural and religious organisations too participated in the campaign.

Many politicians, including former BJP organisation secretary Govindacharya, Delhi AAP convener and environment minister Gopal Rai, water minister Saurabh Bhardwaj, Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri and Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva, too attended the campaign.

‘Yamuna Sansad’ convener Ravi Shankar Tiwari said the human chain was formed expressing peoples’ resolve to contribute to reviving the Yamuna that has been “rendered into a drain despite years of efforts by governments to clean it”.

The rejuvenation of Yamuna will happen only with the joint efforts of the government and the society, Rai said.

“The Kejriwal government is committed towards cleaning of Yamuna,” he said and added the ‘Yamuna Sansad’ initiative will encourage active participation of Delhiites in cleaning the river.

Bhardwaj who joined people at Kalindi Kunj said the Kejriwal government is working systematically to make the Yamuna pollution-free.

It will make the river pollution-free by 2025, assured Delhi’s water minister.

Despite light rain and early morning hours, a large number of people gathered at eight points, along the 22-km-long Yamuna riverbank in Delhi, identified for forming the human chain on the eve of World Environment Day, Tiwari said.

The people also formed human chains over some bridges on the Yamuna and were involved in cleaning waste material littered at river banks and took a pledge to cooperate in the efforts to rid it of heavy pollution, he said.

Tiwari said one lakh people were estimated to join the initiative to form the human chain and a huge number turned up for it as per the schedule at 6.30 am. It was interesting to see flow in the river due to the discharge of water from its upper course, he added.