Ganga being completely ignored, says Waterman

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 4

Uttarakhand Congress on Wednesday joined hands with Waterman Rajendra Singh in criticising the BJP governments at the Centre and Uttarakhand towards their commitment to save Ganga.

In a joint press conference, former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat and Waterman Rajendra Singh asserted that the ruling BJP, both at the Centre and in the state, had completely ignored the Ganga. They said it was during the tenure of the UPA government that three key power projects on the Ganga in Uttarakhand were scrapped and construction banned for upper stretch of Bhagirathi from Gaumukh up to Uttarkashi.

“But ever since the BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has come to power at the Centre, the Ganga has been completely ignored. The Prime Minister had proclaimed that he was the son of the Ganga but has acted in a contrasting manner”, Rajendra Singh, who is credited with rejuvenating as many as 11 small rivers in the country, said. He challenged the Central government to show if it has after completing four years of rule has rejuvenate even a single tributary of the Ganga.

He also termed all-weather road project as catastrophic, asserting that rampant felling of trees in fragile environment of Uttarakhand would do more harm than good and the state could witness a repeat of the 2013 natural disaster.

Rajendra Singh charged Trivendra Rawat government with doing only lip service even for rejuvenation of Rispana river. “The Rispana river rejuvenation campaign looks to be an eyewash. I myself was present on the day the campaign was launched but since then there has been no concrete efforts on ground”, Rajendra Singh alleged.

Harish Rawat too asserted that insensitivity vis-à-vis Ganga can be gauged by the fact that renowned environmentalist Prof GD Agarwal has been staging a fast in Hardwar for the past 14 days for the cause of the Ganga but the government was least bothered.

“A former Professor of IIT, GD Agarwal now known as Swami Gyan Swaroop Sanand is no ordinary individual but a scientist, who has devoted his life for the cause of the Ganga. The octogenarian’s fast has entered the 14th day. Both the Centre and the state are still to even respond to his fast”, Harish Rawat pointed out.

‘Road project catastrophic’

Waterman Rajendra Singh termed the all-weather road   project as catastrophic, asserting that rampant felling of trees in fragile environment of Uttarakhand would do more harm than good and the state could witness a repeat of 2013 natural disaster.