Take pledge to make rivers pollution-free: CM
Bhopal: Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has urged all to take pledge to make rivers pollution-free. He said that rivers are adorable in Indian culture. We worship rivers, but it is we who pollute them. The Chief Minister was addressing fourth International River Festival at Bandrabhan, the confluence point of Narmada and Tawa rivers in Hoshangabad district today.
Vidhan Sabha Speaker Dr. Sitasaran Sharma, PWD Minister Shri Sartaj Singh, retired Supreme Court judge Justice Shri Dharmadhikari, Swami Chidananda, Shri Amrit Lal Begad, RSS Sar Karyawahak Shri Bhaiyyaji Joshi, MP Shri Anil Madhav Dave, other public representatives and environmentalists were present on the occasion.
Earlier, Shri Chouhan and his wife Smt. Sadhana Singh performed worship of pitchers in which water from various rivers of the country was brought.
Shri Chouhan said that government cannot succeed in environmental conservation and making rivers pollution-free until all work towards it with self-inspiration. The Chief Minister lauded Shri Dave’s efforts for river conservation work. He said the climate cycles are changing for last some years. Winter, monsoon and summer are showing their effect in seasons not attributed to them. This climatic change is result of damage to environment.
The Chief Minister earlier, large number of fish and aquatic animals like turtles and crocodiles were found in rivers. Due to wanton use of chemicals in agriculture fields and polluted water falling into rivers, lifecycle of aquatic animals is coming to end. He said that water has also got polluted due to immersion of idols, flowers-garlands etc. in rivers. Shri Chouhan exhorted urban bodies to prevent sewers falling into rivers. Shri Chouhan appealed for use of organic fertilisers and pesticide instead of chemical ones. The Chief Minister informed that efforts would be made to give message of environmental conservation by ensuring polythene-free Simhastha to be held next year at Ujjain. Before Simhastha, a seminar of national-level scholars will be held on the subject of environmental conservation and its conclusions will be published as Simhastha Declaration. The Chief Minister asked people to raise slogan Har Har Narmade and urged for river conservation. He also released logo of festival to be held at Kerala’s Neel river.
Shri Anil Dave urged media for wider publicity of the event and its conclusions. Besides, people shoud cooperate in making rivers pollution-free through mediums like Facebook, whatsapp etc. Parmarth Niketan Rishikesh’s Swami Chidananda lauded works of Chief Minister Shri Chouhan. He said that government should enact laws for conservation of rivers. He said that we people keep our rivers clean by attaching emotions with it, but make our localities dirty. Therefore, it is necessary that people should also keep their localities/lanes clean.
