Bring river Yamuna beck to Vraj-Vrindavan

 

By Amala Prema devi dasi

 

Bring river Yamuna beck to Vraj-Vrindavan

Background

 

The river Yamuna is one of the two biggest rivers (other being Ganges) which flow through the world’s largest river basin- The Ganga river Basin. This basin area is approximately 1,086,000 square kilometers and has a population of 500 million. This area is also the land to one of the most ancient civilization known.

As part of a timeless civilization, the river Yamuna, other than being a traditional water resource, is also a cultural icon and is worshipped as a goddess in Indian Culture.  

 

The issue

 

However, unknown to the annual 80 million pilgrims and local residents of these towns alongside the river, who bathe and drink its water with faith and devotion, was that what flows now on the river bed is actually nothing more than a mixture of domestic sewage and industrial effluents (without one drop of original natural fresh water of the river). An unwritten and accepted nexus between politicians, bureaucrats, industrialists and possibly media had helped suppress this fact since long.

 

However, the truth came out. Given that millions people depend on the river for bathing and drinking water, occupation and above all their spiritual/religious emotional needs, a large protest was done in Delhi in April 2011, when thousands of farmers, saints and ordinary people from along the river’s 600 kilometer worst polluted stretch came out responding on a foot march of saints to protect River Yamuna. While the people and Non Profit organizations took it up in a big way, it met with a cold response from politicians. They responded with little actions and formation of inquiries which lead to nowhere.

The reasons(please refer to the attached diagrammatic map)

 

Almost, 97% of river Yamuna's natural fresh water is taken away after a few kilometers of its birth (total length being 1375 km). This withdrawal which is made in the name of irrigation, industrial development and drinking water is grossly mismanaged and reckless with little or no accountability. What remains after this is a sudsy, listless morass of human, industrial and agricultural wastes, literally an open sewer.

 

• What flows beyond is simply partially treated sewage of Shahdra drain of Delhi and other smaller drains both domestic and industrial (not one drop of original fresh water from the river). http://www.cpcb.nic.in/newitems/11.pdf.

• Delhi sewage contributes 71 % of the pollution to River Yamuna while it only has 2% of the total length of 1376 km of the entire stretch of Yamuna. http://www.cpcb.nic.in/newitems/11.pdf.

 

A brief video prepared by a NGO highlighting the Yamuna issue is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=7ssttcQ27nc

There are more sensitive evidence, in the form of government committee reports, videos and images, which can also be provided.

 

What you can do to help save Yamuna

 

Our Humble Request on Behalf of Yamunadevi:

That all ISKCON temples, congregations, yatras, and devotees please;

1. Include Yamuna Maharani in their daily prayers.

2. Explain the spiritual importance of Shri Yamuna Maharani to others.

3. Organize special kirtans or dedicate existing kirtans to the Yamuna cause.

4. Organize special programs or dedicate existing programs to the Yamuna cause.

5. Explain the environmental issues to other, especially working through the relevant ISKCON ministries that deal with the environment.

6. Create world-wide campaigns

7. Encourage and assist in petitions to accomplish the aforementioned purposes.

8. Use internal media (Back to Godhead etc.) and external media (newspapers, Television etc.) effectively.

9. Spread this cause all over the world through print media, audio-video media, SMS, Internet (dandavats.com, desiretree.com etc.,) social groups (facebook etc., etc.)

Please view this 5 minute video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69tm_yCAzY8

and sign the petition at:

http://www.saveyamuna.org/sign-yamuna-petition

Please also visit http://www.saveyamuna.org/ to learn more about this issue.