Noted water conservationist Mr. Rajendra Singh cautions that almost all the rivers in the country are 'biologically dead. The Ramon Magsaysay Award winner today announced his maiden intervention to rejuvenate polluted rivers in India's urban areas. Mr. Singh informed PTI that he would launch the campaign with a 5-kilometre 'River March' on coming Sunday beginning from Dahisar River in Northwest Mumbai.<br/><br/>Mr. Singh said that this two-year campaign aims to restore the Dahisar River to its natural form. The 14- kilometre long Dahisar River, which passes through densely-populated pockets of Borivali and Dahisar, has been badly impacted over the years due to different kinds of pollution. Meanwhile, Deputy Director of the Maharashtra Nature Park Society, Mr. Avinash Kubal has informed that volunteers have worked for over last two years, collecting data on the cause of degeneration of this river system. <br/><br/>He informed that a meeting of 18 different stakeholder groups was held with Mr.Singh in January to discuss the way ahead. Mr. Kubal said that solutions like setting up an affluent treatment plant for the dhobi ghat area, biogas plants near cowsheds and correcting the sewage systems for shanties would be enforced. He said that students from over ten different colleges have come together and are now working for different aspects of sustainable river rejuvenation for Dahisar River.
News On AIR | March 4, 2016 8:23 PM
Waterman Rajendra Singh to launch urban river renewal drive