NSS volunteers pledge support to river campaign

Nadi ki jung mein hum sab sang mein (In the battle for rivers, we are together) was the slogan that echoed at a gathering of youngsters in Meerut. They were showing their solidarity with Magsaysay award winner Rajendra Singh, who is popularly known as jalpurush for his battle to save rivers of the country.

Singh was addressing a congregation of young volunteers of the National Service Scheme (NSS) here on CCS University campus during seven-day a national integration camp. “What other than rivers can be the best medium to promote national integration?” he said, elaborating that rivers have the potential to unite society and people without any discrimination. And that is the true promotion of national integration, he said. He called upon the young to join hands to save the rivers of the country. Underlining the condition of the rivers, he said, "Rivers of the country, including Ganga and Yamuna, were gasping for their life and they could be saved only by the efforts of people.” He received an overwhelming response from the gathering, who assured him full support in his fight.

Terming the Ganga Expressway Project of Mayawati government a disastrous for environment and farmers, he appealed to the people to lodge their protest against it. “Over 80,000 hectare of fertile land would, on the either side of Ganga, would be eaten up by the 1,100 km-long highway,” he said.

He said the people of Varanasi and Balia have already raised their voice against the project and the protest will soon spread to other districts of the state. Counting on economic loss, Singh said construction of highways would be cause Rs 500-crore loss of crop every year.