World Water Day: Kashi citizens asked to conserve water, work for clean Ganga
Awareness programmes, human chains, and appeals to keep the Ganga clean were made in Varanasi to mark the World Water Day on March 22
Awareness programmes, human chains, and appeals to keep the Ganga clean were made in Varanasi to mark the World Water Day on March 22.
People from different walks of life joined hands and made a human chain at Tulsi Ghat. They displayed placards with slogans like ‘water is life’ to keep the Ganga clean and flowing.
Prof Viswambhar Nath Mishra, president, Sankat Mochan Foundation, said, “We have to be sensitive towards Ma Ganga only then will Ma Ganga be pollution free.
“300 million litres per day (MLD) sewage is being discharged in the Ganga without treatment and we are being told that Ma Ganga has become clean and pure. Those who do not take a bath in the Ganga make tall claims about its cleanliness. If you want to know the actual situation about the Ganga, then ask those who bathe in the Ganga daily. They will give you the whole truth,” said prof Mishra.
He said that earlier, there was pollution only on this side of the Ganga. Now, pollution has spread to the other side as well.
Prof Hare Ram Tripathi, vice-chancellor, Sampurnanand Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya, said that water is life. “In the scriptures, the importance of rivers or water, digging wells and ponds have been mentioned as a part of religion,” he said.
Abha Mishra, founder president, Mother for Mothers, said that for the cleanliness and purity of the Ganga, mothers will also have to come out of their houses only then will the Ganga be clean and pure.
Representative of the Shankaracharya of Kanchi Koti Peeth P Subrahmanyam Mani said, “If we do not conserve water today then our future generations will have to suffer. Let us take a pledge to protect the environment today. On the call of the Shankaracharya, we should plant trees on the banks of rivers.
Footballer Salman Haider has said that the Lord has given Ganga to us as a mother. We must make efforts to keep it clean.
Rev Fr Dennis, director of Maitri Bhawan, said, “We should stop the misuse of water in our house. Let us learn to conserve water in our own way.”