Bay of Bengal

Ground Report India

I recall the day two months before, when I had the opportunity to attend a seminar at the outskirt of Delhi. The hot topics, to be bothered and discussed in the gathering was: “Pollution of River Ganga & its Control and Preservation” (i.e. Ganga ka Pradushan … Ganga Bachao”).

And so, so early reached at the venue ignoring the shivering cold weather. However, it happened so, probably due to the chilly cold situations, that VIPs- honourable guests and invited respected audience reached one by one…. at last to conclude it to be ‘a late affair’!

Food Distribution in K-Plot on Feb 17th

In face of the dire situation in Aila Affected areas, AID EB approved Rs. 1,50,000 for distribution of food in the remote island of K-plot and Nagenabad area of Moipith island. AID has been working with Baikanthapur Tarun Sangh (BTS) since Aila, on relief/rehabilitation and the revival of agriculture in the area.

Guest post by Somnath Mukherji

Charter of All India Ganga Yamuna Panchayat submitted to Minister of Environment8-10 February 2010

 
In its concluding session on 10th February, the all India Ganga Yamuna Panchayat organized by Tarun Bharat Sangh and Manushi Sangathan presented a Charter of Demands to Minister of Environment, Mr Jairam Ramesh for the effective implementation of the New Ganga and Yamuna Action Plans.  The Panchayat was inaugurated on February 8th by Shri Digvijay Singh, General Secretary, All India Congress Committee at Nehru Memorial Museum and Library which hosted the Panchayat.

VIJAYAWADA: School children will be with one another to list the number of animals and plants they can recognise in a competition being held by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Forest Department at Kaikaluru on Tuesday.

The Yamuna Biodiversity Park (YBP) invites all citizens to celebrate the World Wetlands Day on the 2nd of February. This date marks the signing of the ‘Convention on Wetlands’ in 1971 at Ramsar, Iran. The 2010 Wetlands Day theme is “Caring for Wetlands – an Answer to Climate Change”. The theme highlights the fact that wetlands, with their biodiversity, can help mitigate climate change.

(Last to last year in frustration, this letter came out. Now when Commonwealth Games are at the door Mother Yamuna is asking for justice on her death bed)

Revered Citizens of India,

I am mother of one sixth of humanity, But now a stigma on my own sons. My own sons are raping me for their own prosperity and development. I want to tell you what is my story and what are my ideas while sitting on the death bed.

My story starts from a myth and a reality. My sons believe that I came from heaven while scientists say that I have originated from the glaciers of Himalayas. I believe in both. My father is Himalaya and I originate from Yamunotari glacier, now in state of Uttarakhand. My birth was considered as the end of vows of Aryan civilization. The oldest civilization started flourishing on my banks and sister Ganges also supported this cause. World’s greatest religion was founded in my territory.

PMO FORWARDS PETITION ON KOSI TRAGEDY TO HOME MINISTRY FOR APPROPRIATE ACTION

Prof.Suraj Yadav, Assistant Professor in Delhi University reports

The book "Aaviral Ganga" explores the question of what is a dam, and of what the river Ganga means to us, and the impact of dams in the Ganga river valley”

The book "Dole mein Pole" is a case study of Srinagar Hydro Electric Project, on River Alaknanda(the main tributary of Ganga) how the 200 MW dam clearance was converted into 330 MW. There was no public hearing, no extra study, no monitoring, no compliance etc.

A recent study monitoring water quality of river Ganga in Hardwar shows that it does not meet the standards for outdoor bathing set by the Central Pollution Control Board. This is primarily due to the continuing discharge of untreated wastewater and effluents from various drains directly into the river. The outfall from the sewage treatment plant (STP) at Jagjeetpur alone releases about 129 million litres daily (MLD) into the Ganga with a fecal coliform concentration of about 34 million/100ml!

Scientists from People’s Science Institute (PSI) took samples from 10 drains falling into river Ganga at different locations in Hardwar on January 2^nd and 3^rd, 2010 along with samples of the river water at 3 locations.