Taj city activists demand early action to save dying Yamuna

River activists and environmentalists of the Taj city on Thursday evening staged a protest at the Etmauddaula view point park to remind BJP leaders of their promises to rejuvenate and revive the Yamuna river, the lifeline of Braj Mandal, the 'Leela Bhoomi' of Sri Krishna-Radha.

In a memorandum addressed to the Primr Minister, the members of the River Connect Campaign reminded of the promise by union transport minister Nitin Gadkari who had announced in 2015 the launch of a ferry service on the Yamuna to bring tourists from Delhi to Agra. Similarly, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath had promised to construct a barrage downstream of the Taj Mahal, to secure the foundation of the heritage monuments along the banks of the Yamuna.

Environmentalist Devashish Bhattacharya said "Yamuna was not just a water body but our glorious heritage and a centre of faith, revered by countless Sri Krishna Bhakts globally. The politicians make promises and then conveniently forget them. It is high time the Yamuna was cleaned up, desilted and dredged thoroughly. The flood plains of the river from Vrindavan to Bateshwar, have to be cleared of encroachments, and most importantly, the 1994 agreement on sharing of Yamuna water among UP, Haryana and Rajasthan, needs to be revisited."

Green activist Jagan Prasad Teheriya said "the demand for a barrage on the Yamuna downstream of the Taj Mahal has been hanging fire for two decades and more for want of political will. Yogi Adityanath had three years ago promised to build a rubber check dam costing Rs 350 crore. The site has been identified and initial funds released, but for mysterious reasons, work has not begun."

Congress leader Shabana said Agra was suffering due to the poor state of its lifeline, the Yamuna. Activists Shashikant Upadhyaya, Deepak Rajput and Shahtosh Gautam stressed the need for launching a big people's movement to pressure the state and central governments to fulfil forgotten promises and make Agra, the home of glorious heritage monuments, environmentally safe.

The protesters reminded the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party that Agra had three MPs, nine MLAs, one mayor, and chairman of the zila parishad. All had collectively failed to address environmental issues. The city's civic infrastructure had not improved, the health sector in particular presented a pathetic picture of negligence and inefficiency.

"Despite thousands of crores spent on Smart City projects, Yamuna Action Plans and a slew of schemes to implement directives of the Supreme Court, in respect of the PIL filed by eco lawyer MC Mehta, to insulate the Taj Mahal from pollution, the overall scene was dismal. The air quality remains poor, with an alarming rise in SPM levels, water of the Yamuna is unfit for human consumption. The green cover has not increased. Traffic jams have become permanent and the city roads have more than 50,000 potholes after the rains," said the resolution passed at the meeting.

The activists warned the government not to ignore the simmering discontent. "Elections are round the corner. Discontentment could harm the ruling party," said activist Padmini.