Ganges Save campaign  "Under the leadership of Baba Ramdev"


Save Ganges campaign in Varanasi 
  Children of seers' families in Varanasi along with school children took to the banks of river Ganga to save the river. On the call of the yoga guru, Baba Ramdev, these child- priests have pledged to save the river. 
  As part of the campaign, pressure groups across India have decided to hold rallies on to submit charters listing the demands of the 'Ganga Raksha Manch', a committee that is spearheading the save 
Ganges campaign. "Under the leadership of Baba Ramdev, we are taking out this march. All of us who love Ganga have got together to save this river," said Swami Abhimukteshwaranand, a seer. -ANI

 

  Chhath Puja on Ganga Ghat
   "He chhathi maiya, tohe 
arag chhadaib", "Maiya ke arag chhadaib, suruj ke arag chhadaib" - these are songs that may seem strange to a swanky, modern crowd, but 
is heartfelt music to the lakhs of Chhath Puja lovers who have been gearing up for next week’s festival, right after Diwali. 
  On the fourth day of the Shukla Paksha (full moon fortnight) of the most pious month of the Sak Samvat calendar - Kartik - lakhs of 
devotees along the Indo- Gangetic plains, chiefly Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, begin the four-day Chhath festival, in keeping with a 
tradition that goes back into ancient times, thus carrying forward  India’s living tradition of worshipping the divine creator and nourisher - the Sun God. 








  Efforts to save the Ganga  with sadhus from Rishikesh and Haridwar, including yoga guru Baba Ramdev, joining the fight and declaring the formation of the Ganga Raksha Manch. 

 "Chak De Ganga"  was the slogan raised by Swami Chidananda of Parmarth Niketan in Rishikesh, in  efforts to save the Ganga.






 
     
     Gai Ghat Pana to observe Ganga Dussehra along with hundreds of other devotees in the city.

 

Kolkata, June 6, 2008: CNN-IBN-Outlook State of the Environment Poll has found that 77 per cent people have voted cleaning of rivers by government as the top priority.  The findings are especially significant in Kolkata as its main river Hooghly is congested with solid waste and effluents. It is said that the character of a city is best judged by how well it maintains its sea or river front.   For environment activist Subhash Dutta it's been a lonely battle fought by the  Green Bench at Kolkata High Court, trying to keep up a brave and a clean  riverfront. "It is being fouled institutionally and individually. Ninety per cent of industrial and untreated sewer being dumped in it is only making the river unholy,"  Dutta laments. The romantic image of Hooghly is dumped rapidly as it gets fouled by 860 million litre of untreated sewage daily through sewer outlets flowing into the river.  Ganga Monitoring Committee member of the Environment Department of West Bengal government Biswajit Mukherjee says, "Twenty-Twenty five years is nothing to curb pollution. How could I solve all the problems?"  The city believes Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) and its  municipalities take care of most of the sewage disposal. They remain shockingly unaware that they too have a liberal hand in its abuse.                        * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  Since 1985, with the implementation of Ganga Action Plan (GAP) for  pollution abatement activities in the identified polluted stretches of river Ganga, a total sewage treatment capacity of 1765.34 million litres per day has been created so far for Ganga and its major tributaries. Despite phenomenal increase in the urban population along the banks of the river leading to increased pollution loads, the water quality of river Ganga has shown  discernible improvement in terms of organic pollution at major locations, over the pre-Action Plan water quality. This information was given by the Minister of State for Environment and Forests Shri Namo Narain Meena, in a written reply to a question by Dr (Shrimati ) Najma Hepttulla, in the Rajya Sabha today.

 

Indian leather hub targeted in Ganges clean-up   KANPUR, March 5, 2010 (AFP): On the banks of the Ganges in northern India, tanneries that have poured effluent into the holy river for decades are closing.For environmentalists, it's a victory over filthy companies with no regard for nature and a rare example of pollution legislation being enforced. They say the closures point to a willingness to tackle serial polluters even at the expense of jobs. But the mostly Muslim workers and tannery owners in the city of Kanpur, home to more than 400 of the estimated 2,100 tanneries in the country, smell a religion-tinged vendetta against them and a political conspiracy.   Acharya offers Rs 1,000 cr to stop Ganga dam   New Delhi, February 22, 2010: In a dramatic attempt to "save" the Ganga and ensure that the river's waters run free, a man of religion has promised to raise Rs 1,000 crore from the public, "buy" the Loharinag Pala dam in Uttarakhand from the government and demolish it. Avimukteshwaranand, Shankaracharya-designate of Jyotirmath in Uttarakhand, has formally written to Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh making this offer. Last week, he had conveyed this to the minister at a panchayat on the Ganga and Yamuna.   World Bank team shows dissatisfaction over STP projects    KANPUR, February 19, 2010: In a bid to monitor the progress work of various projects and schemes related to the National River Ganga, a two-member World Bank team visited the city, on Thursday. The WB team member Kevin Taylor and water sanitation specialist Srinivasan Rao visited Bingawan and inspected the progress of the construction of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP). Expressing concern over the delayed projects under the Jawahar Lal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), the team asked the concerned officials to submit the report giving details about the reasons for the delay caused in the development of these projects.     A very special. VIP ghat at Har ki Paudi   HARDWAR, January 18, 2010: Across the commoner’s coveted Har ki Paudi, about 50 metres up the river, is a very special. VIP ghat, which had over 60 passes issued for its use the first day of Kumbh, a single pass accommodating three or four persons. Governors, judges, MPs, MLAs, commissioners form the motley of sinners who go to the VIP ghat for special dips. Foreign delegates who’ve dunked into the Ganga here include Turkey’s deputy prime minister who was here for a Bhel project about 18 months ago. Mauritius’ President may be called a regular, having visited two consecutive years. The Bachchan family comes for private rituals and Kareena Kapoor for a shoot are other notables who have used the ghat.    Ban on dairies along Ganga    KANPUR, December 25, 2009: Kanpur Nagar Nigam on Thursday decided to impose ban on dairies situated on the banks of the holy river Ganga. In an order passed today, municipal commissioner Rajeev Sharma directed his subordinates to stop dairies situated on the banks of Ganga that were passing cow dung and other objectionable material in the river directly and polluting it.     Newsman infuriates Hindus with Ganges analogy    December 14, 2009 : Hindus are protesting against the Fox News channel for remarks that the word Ganges “sounds like a disease”. Fox's Glenn Beck, referring to India in a segment titled: “This is the best America has to offer?” said, “One big river they have there, that sounds like a disease. Come on it does. I mean if somebody said, I am sorry, you have a really bad case of Ganges.”     The Ganges is sacred to one billion Hindus worldwide and it is believed that to bathe in the sacred river purifies one of all sin, and its water, if taken daily, confers immortality.     World Bank Assistance for River Ganga     Lok Sabha, November 25, 2009 (PIB) : Preliminary consultations have been started for seeking World Bank support for the activities of the National  Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA), which was set up on 20th February, 2009 for conservation of river Ganga. A proposal for availing Project Preparation Facility (PPF) assistance of US $ 2.96 million has been forwarded to the World Bank. PPF would be utilised for preparation of the detailed project report. This information was given by the Minister of State for Environment and Forests (independent charge) Shri Jairam Ramesh in a written reply to a question by Sh.Tufani Saroj ss in Lok Sabha today.     Students organize Ganga cleaning drive in Varanasi    Varanasi, November. 11,2009 (ANI): Hundreds of college students in Varanasi participated in a cleaning drive aimed to keep the holy Ganges river pollution-free.Many volunteers cleaned the Ghats of the river with brooms, and also distributed pamphlets among public to spread awareness about keeping the river pollution free.   Ganga water rally from November 7   ALLAHABAD, November 4, 2009: "Ganga is not only a river but a treasure of our vast historical heritage and the forthcoming Ganga Water rally from November 7 to 9 this year is a step ahead to promote water sports in the state and boost tourism," said district magistrate (DM) Rajeev Agarwal while talking to newspersons here on Wednesday.He added that around seven teams including three from the home state and four from other states including Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh would take part in the event. .    Power from Hill state a far cry   UTTARKASHI (Uttrakhand), October 11, 2009: Three hydro projects, conceived by the  Uttrakhand government on the holy Ganga river, as a stride towards its dream of converting the newly created hill state as a `Urja Pradesh' (Energy State) have hit a roadblock under pressure of environment activists and sadhus.  With an installed capacity of around 1,300 MW, these projects costing about Rs 8,000 crore, would have generated a surplus, a major portion of which was supposed to be allocated to power-starved  states like Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. However, the fate of these projects are to be decided now by the Centre, as the Ganga River Basin Authority (GRBA) is now seized with the matter.     NCC cadets clean Ganga ghat at Buxar    PATNA, September 23, 2009: As part of its special national campaign to cleanse the Ganga, hundreds of cadets of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) on Tuesday gathered at Buxar Ganga river ghat to clean the river. The campaign will continue in Bihar till September 27. The national campaign, `Ganga Swachhta Ahiyan’ (Save Ganga Mission), is scheduled to be  conducted during this month at Allahabad, Kanpur, Varanasi, Chapra, Patna and Munger by NCC cadets. This is a holistic environment preservation programme launched by the largest uniformed youth organization in India.    Save Ganges campaigners ask not to immerse idols into river    Varanasi, September 19, 2009 (ANI): To prevent the river Ganges from getting further  polluted, the Ganga Mahasabha, a voluntary organisation, in Varanasi, has asked people not to immerse idols in it, which have chemicals or artificial colours.National secretary of the Ganges Mahasabha, Acharya Jitendra, has said when these idols will be immersed, a lot of river bodies, mainly river Ganges, will be polluted. To stop this, he said the government should banning the use of chemicals and artificial colours in making idols.    Maiden meeting of GRBA to be chaired by PM    New Delhi, Sept 16 (PTI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will chair the first meeting of the Ganga River Basin Authority (GRBA) on October 5, almost an year  after it was constituted. "The first meeting of the Authority which has been set up to protect the ancient river from pollution and degradation will be chaired by the Prime Minister on October 5," Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said on the World Ozone Day being observed today.   Checking pollution in Ganga: HC summons officials    Allahabad, August 28, 2009 (PTI): The Allahabad High Court today asked the Centre to file an affidavit stating what steps it has taken to check pollution in the Ganga after declaring it as the national river. Passing the order, a division bench comprising justices Ashok Bhusan and Arun Tandon also directed Principal Secretary, Urban Development, Uttar Pradesh, Chairman of State Pollution Control Board and Municipal Commissioner of Allahabad to appear in person on September 29 and apprise the court of the steps taken by them in compliance with earlier orders for checking pollution in the river. The order came on a PIL filed by Swami Harichaitanyaji Maharaj of Allahabad whereby the court's intervention has been sought to check pollution in the holy river.    For the cause of holy river   VARANASI, August 4, 2009: Main Ganga ko apni ahooti dene ke liye Kashi aya hoon. Kashi mein pran nikalna uttam baat hai (I have come to Kashi to sacrifice my life for the cause of the Ganga. Dying in Kashi is the best thing), says a determined Prof GD Agrawal, the noted environmentalist who is going to sit on a fast-unto-death on Kedar Ghat from August 5. It would be for the third time within 15 months when he will be sitting on fast-unto- death to ensure that river Bhagirathi is allowed to flow in its natural form between Gangotri and Uttarkashi.    Ganga Water Rally to begin after 7-yr gap   ALLAHABAD, July 2, 2009: After a hiatus of about seven years, the department of  tourism is once again going to organise the much-awaited Ganga Water Rally during the month of November. This step is going to promote adventure tourism in the city, which has remained neglected for the past few years and to bring the city back into the global map. Ganga Water Rally would be organised for three days starting from November 28 and it would terminate on  November 30.    PCB blame on the Allahabad Municipal Corporation for ‘unabated pollution’   Allahabad, June 15, 2009:   With the Allahabad High Court’s regular monitoring of pollution in the Ganga, the Pollution Control Board (Ganga), while shifting blame on the Allahabad  Municipal Corporation for ‘unabated pollution’ through domestic sewage, wants to lodge FIRs against corporation officials. The Board survey had found that domestic waste was the worst offender. There are 13 large drains flowing directly into the Ganga.    HC stays Ganga Express Highway   Allahabad, May 29, 2009: In a major jolt to the UP Government, the Allahabad High Court today stayed the Ganga Express Highway Project. The ambitious project is aimed at linking Noida to Ballia in Uttar Pradesh by constructing eight lane 1047 kilometer long road, which would pass through 19 districts along the bank of river Ganga.Jaiprakash Associates were allotted contract for the prestigious Rs 30,000-crore Ganga Expressway project.    Seers carry Ganga plight to new govt   LUCKNOW, May 24, 2009: Little brass ‘kamandals’ (pots) holding 100 ml of Gangajal each may succeed where a mammoth Ganga Action Plan failed, hope Kashi seers. Ganga Seva Abhiyan, a confederation of high-powered saints headed by Swami Avimuktehwranand Saraswati, on Friday launched a full-fledged psychological war — Kalash Samarpan Samaroh  — to purge the holy river. The unique strategy, ‘‘targeting the seat of power — Delhi — entails coaxing newly-appointed MPs to nurture to health dying Ganga like any duty- bound progeny’’.   VARANASI May 5, 2009: River Ganga remains highly polluted even after being declared the 'National River' by the Central Government. Acharya Jitendra, president, Ganga Mahasabha, a voluntary organization working for saving the Ganga said, "Nearly 243 dams are slated to be constructed on the tributaries of the Ganga in Uttarakhand. This will obstruct the flow of water into the main river. So obviously, there will be sand dunes and the water level will be low. If the tributaries don't release water into the river, how will there be water in the Ganga.    VARANASI, April 25, 2009: A study of American scientists at the National Centre for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) suggests that there is a reduced flow in many rivers of the world and it is associated with climate change. The study is also applied on the Ganga, the lifeline of millions of people living in its plane. Not only NCAR scientists, but the World  Wildlife Fund (WWF), the global conservation organisation, also reports that the Ganga has been enlisted on the list of 10 most endangered rivers of the world.    Govt announces pilot study on impact of dams on Ganga river    New Delhi, November 25, 2008: The Indian government has announced a pilot study ahead of a comprehensive plan, to assess whether dams being constructed on the Ganga and its tributaries in Uttarakhand could dry the river downstream, along towns such as Varanasi and Allahabad in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh.    According to the minutes of an October ministry of environment and forests, or MoEF, meeting reviewed by Mint, such an assessment would be extended to the entire Uttarakhand stretch of the river, based on the results of a preliminary study on the Gangotri-Dharasu stretch on the Bhagirathi, a tributary of the 2,500km long Ganga.   Ganga to be declared a national river   New Delhi, November 4, 2008 (PTI):  Government today decided to declare Ganga as a 'national river' and also set up a high powered Ganga River Basin Authority to protect the ancient river from pollution and other degradation. The proposed Authority would be headed by the Prime Minister and would have as its members Chief Ministers of states through which the river flows. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, which reviewed the Ganga Action Plan.

Devotees throng Ganga ghat on Chhath puja  PATNA, November 03, 2008:  With devotional song "Je kerwa pharela ghawd mein, Upar sugga merarai, Uje sugwa ke marbo dhanukh se, sugwa jahiye murjhai...," renting the Devotees throng Ganga ghat on Chhath puja in air, the entire city plunged into religious mood as  "nahai-khai", the first day of holy Chhath Puja, began on Sunday.

Seers in Varanasi offer prayers to River Ganges, vow to cleanse it    Varanasi, October 23, 2008 (ANI): Seers in Varanasi offer prayers to holy river Ganges and vow to cleanse it of all the pollutants. Residents, environmentalists and religious groups, who have formed a ”Ganga Sena”  to save the River Ganga from pollution, took part in the prayers that marked the completion of the first phase of action against pollution.   The plan of action has been divided into three phases. To begin with, the devotees said that they have succeeded in convincing the authorities about the steps that are required to be taken. “It is a three-phased plan. The first step is to reach to the authorities and convince them to be a part of the action. The second stage is to complete the paper work and declare our fight against Ganges pollution. And the last one is to implement the plan of action and clean Ganges of the pollution. The first stage has been completed and therefore we are here to offer prayers,” said Swami Avimukteshwaranand, chief of Ganga Sena. Prayers were offered to 108 Hindu Goddesses as a token of thanks for helping them succeed in the first phase of their plan of action.    Haridwar, October 20, 2008:  For yearly maintenance and cleaning, the flow of the Ganga has been stopped at Har-ki-Pauri till October 27. During this period, the cleaning of ghats and bridges will be done. The Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department carries out this work. Yet it has not gone down well with the traditionalists, purists, traders and a vast segment of society. People and organisations have come out openly venting their ire on the concerned authorities and administration, especially the irrigation department.   PM to hold review meeting on Ganga Action Plan   NEW DELHI,October 17, 2008: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the government would do all it can for the environmental protection of the Ganga river and would hold a meeting soon to review the progress on the Ganga Action Plan. "It is the duty of all Indians to maintain the purity of the Ganga and the government will do all that is possible for the holistic environmental protection of the river," Singh told a delegation of the Ganga Seva Abhiyan (Save Ganga Movement).    Rotten potatoes dumped in sacred Ganga River   Patna, October 15, 2008 (ANI): Residents of Patna city have voiced concern over cold  storages littering the sacred Ganga riverbanks with rotten potatoes. The factories have found no better way to discard their unwanted stock other than dumping sacks of rotten potatoes by the banks of the river. Locals residing near the riverbanks have expressed concern over the threat to river environment.   River Ganga faces temporarily closure at Har-Ki-Pauri    Dehradun, October 10, 2008: Devotees at Har-Ki-Pauri in Haridwar will miss the flow of the river Ganga, as authorities have ordered stopping the water for a fortnight for annual cleaning. The order has been issued by the Uttar Pradesh Irrigation department, which still controls the Ganga in Haridwar even after Uttarakhand was carved out of the state.    During the closure period, the department would carry out the work of cleaning along the banks of the river as well as the Bhimgoada Barrage, official sources said. The flow of the Ganga would remain disrupted at Har-Ki-Pauri till Oct 27, they said. During the period,  Ganga will flow along its natural path at Haridwar.   NEW DELHI, October  6, 2008: For promoting river cruise tourism in the country, the tourism ministry has sanctioned a project for development of Ganga Heritage River Cruise Circuit in West Bengal as a mega destination at a cost of Rs 2,042.35 lakh. Apart from experiencing river cruise on the holy river, this project will also provide tourists an opportunity to visit historical settlements along the banks of the Ganga in West Bengal. This project would include creation of jetties, beautification of river fronts, illumination of monuments, development of parking areas.   Allahabad, September 29, 2008:  As the country’s most revered river chokes to death,  the father of the Green Revolution M S Swaminathan and National Academy of Sciences (NASI) have come forward to set up a state-of-the-art Ganga Gallery at the Sangam to raise awareness about it.    The gallery will not only provide a podium for research on the river, it will also help in inspiring youths to come together to make it free of pollution. It will exhibit in phases the evolution of Ganga and throw light over its exploitation. Major issues like pollution and threat of extinction faced by the river will also be part of the gallery.    NEW DELHI, September 22, 2008 (IANS): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has assured giving river Ganga a national heritage status, a statement by the Hardwar-based  Ganga Raksha Manch said.    The prime minister pledged to revive the glory of the river and look into the issue of pollution in the river along its stretch from upper reaches in Hardwar to Ganga Sagar in the Bay of Bengal. "Ganga is our mother and we will do our best to restore it to its former glory," the statement quoting the prime minister said. He also promised to convene a meeting of his council of ministers to discuss the demands raised by the Raksha Manch.     Mumbai, September 19, 2008: A rally consisting of sadhus, saints and people — carrying boards of Ganga bachao, Ganga hamari mata hai — on the banks of Godavari in Nashik demanded the cleaning of the river Ganga, on Thursday. The Ganga Raksha Manch organised a peace rally to protest against the pollution caused to the Ganges, and had presented a memorandum to the district collector for this purpose.    Hindus pray for salvation of their ancestors at Ganga River ghats   Gaya (Bihar)/Allahabad, September 15, 2008 (ANI): On the first day of the 'Shradh Paksha', a 15-day Hindu religious ritual that started today, many perform 'Pind Daan' or 'Shradh,' believing this will relieve their ancestors of all sins and help their souls attain salvation. In Allahabad, hundreds of Hindus from across the country took bath in the Ganga River and prayed for the salvation of their ancestors.    Many Hindus believe in reincarnation. It is believed that a body changes with every birth but the soul remains the same. The Hindu philosophy says this cycle can be broken and the soul can be put to rest by performing good deeds. (ANI)   250 religious heads flag off save Ganga campaign in Delhi   NEW DELHI, August 18, 2008: A group of 250 spiritual heads representing most of the religious sects and Hindu organisations across India on Sunday  launched the Save the Ganga campaign in the capital. The campaign, Awiral Ganga, Nirmal Ganga: From Gangotri to Ganga Sagar, aims to clean up the river right from its source in the Himalayas to where it drains into the Bay of Bengal at Ganga Sagar in West Bengal by reducing pollution and demanding national heritage status for the river.     The agenda of the umbrella organisation Ganga Raksha Manch includes penalising polluters, preventing drainage of industrial and domestic effluents in the river, opposing the proposed Ganga Express Highway by the Uttar Pradesh government, lobbying for the relocation of industries along the river bank, and opposing the further expansion of the Tehri Dam project in Uttarakhand. The 250-member Marg Darshak Mandal, or the advisory committee comprising the religious leaders, will advise the Ganga Raksha Manch on how to make the campaign effective. Senior Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Ashok Singhal and yoga guru Baba Ramdev are at the helm of the committee.     As part of the campaign, pressure groups across the country will organise rallies September 18 and march to the offices of the district collectors and district magistrate to submit charters listing the demands of the Ganga Raksha Manch.    Seers like Ramdev, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar of the Art of Living Foundation, Asaram Bapu, Murari Bapu and Pranab Pandya, head of the Global Gayatri Parivar, will observe a token fast for a day September 18 to protest the unchecked pollution of the river and press for steps for clean Ganga. The Ganga Raksha Manch has constituted a Kar Sevak (workers') committee, which will mobilise the youth in 550 districts across 28 states and seven union territories to implement the Ganga action plan on the ground in a phased manner.     To save the Hooghly ghats by lead pollution in WB before puja    KOLKATA, August 5, 2008:  The environment department is keen on clamping a blanket ban on the use of lead-laden paints, on the Pratima of Goddess Durga. On August 12, the department has called a meeting to decide on imposing the ban from this Puja itself. This would entail a massive awareness campaign among puja organizers and a drive to ensure that the order is followed. It's all for a good cause to save the Hooghly ghats and your para ponds from the deadly effects of lead pollution.    A joint survey by the West Bengal Pollution Control Board and Indian Toxicology Research Institute found that each gram of colour used for painting the goddess has a high quantity of lead, ranging from 6 to 10 micrograms. It should ideally be zero. Even in our body, zero microgram per decilitre is the permissible limit for lead, a committee member said.    Symposium in Delhi on Ganga Raksha Aastha:  "Science can neither connect to the culture nor can it protect the culture. The real conspiracy behind the construction of dams on the Ganga is to ruin the Hindu culture. It is a matter of aastha (faith), which is more important than the materialistic progress,” said Prof. G.D. Agrawal who observed fast unto death in Uttarkashi for the protection of Ganga. He was speaking at a symposium organised by Deendayal Research Institute (DRI) in New Delhi on July 4, 2008.  New Delhi, June 29, 2008 (IANS):  Yoga guru Ramdev,  who was in the capital prior to his 45-day tour of the US, UK and Canada, told the media Sunday that he is at the forefront of a group, the Ganga Raksha Manch, set up by spiritual heads in Hardwar to press the government to declare the endangered river a national heritage.    The Ganga Raksha Manch comprises spiritual leaders like Sri Sri Ravishankar of the Art of Living, Murari Bapu, Asaram Bapu, Ramesh Bhai Ojha and the heads of the Shankaracharya hermitages across the country. It also has representatives from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, All-India Akhara Parishad, Gayatri Parivar Shantikunj, Sant  Nirankari Samagam, Arya Samaj, Shri Jain Acharya Muni hermitage and Ramakrishna Mission.    Ramdev is the convenor of the organisation. Besides, the umbrella has also brought in researchers, environmentalists and scientists in its fold to deal with the technicalities of conservation. The campaign will be spread across five states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Bengal.    DEHRADUN, June 21, 2008: Yielding to pressure from septugenarian environmentalist G.D. Agarwal, who is on hunger strike against the damming of the Ganga, the Uttarakhand government said it would not construct two of the six dams on the river proposed between Gangotri and Uttarkashi.

Chak De Ganga  DEHRADUN, June 19, 2008: "Chak De Ganga" was the slogan raised by Swami Chidananda of Parmarth Niketan in Rishikesh, as he spoke about saving the holy river at a Sant Sammelan in Haridwar.  Efforts to save the Ganga  with sadhus from Rishikesh and Haridwar, including yoga guru Baba Ramdev, joining the fight and declaring the formation of the Ganga Raksha Manch.    Ramdev, while launching his nationwide movement to save the Ganga, warned: "If the Centre and state government did not pay heed to the sadhus' call for saving the Ganga, the agitation would take a fierce turn." "Declare the Ganga a national heritage," said Ramdev.    Former RSS ideologue Govindacharya today announced an agitation in support of halting all projects on river Ganga from Gaumukh to Uttarkashi.   Patna: June 13, 2008: Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, in Patna on Friday, lighted lamps at the Gai Ghat to observe Ganga Dussehra along with hundreds of other devotees in the city.  Kumar also appealed to everyone to join forces to prevent the holy river from polluting and help preserve its sanctity and purity. "The community should join hands with the government to help Ganga from further pollution as the river was the lifeline of millions of people in Bihar," Kumar said adding the administration was doing everything in its might to develop and beautify the embankment so the coming generations could also benefit from the river.  Dehradun, June 14, 2008: G D Agarwal, a 76-year-old environmentalist, on Friday began a fast-unto-death protest against the construction of hydel projects on River Bhagirathi in Uttarakhand. The 76-year-old Gandhian and around 30 of his supporters began their fast at Manikarnika Ghat in Uttarkashi town. Agarwal is on hunger strike to support people, who claim they would be uprooted because of the construction of dams like Pala Maneri (480 MW), Maneri Bhali phase-II (304 MW), Lohari Nagpala (600 MW), Koteshwar (400MW), Bhairon ghati (381 MW) and Jad Ganga (200 MW). Swami Swroopanand, the Shankaracharya of Dwarika Peeth, backed Agarwal’s protest saying he was against the caging of Bhagirathi with dams.

New Delhi, June 1, 2008: Guru Das Agrawal, a former dean of IIT Kanpur, has said he will begin a fast unto death this month on the banks of the Bhagirathi to save the tributary of the Ganga. Agrawal, 76, who once taught environmental engineering at the IIT, said he will begin fasting from June 13, unless all development work on hydropower projects between Gangotri — the glacier that feeds the Ganges — and Uttarkashi is stopped. “Our mother is being murdered... and you’re asking me why I’ve taken such a decision,” Agrawal said. “It’s for my faith,” he said.    Agrawal and a number of non-government organisations have been seeking a halt of work on the 600MW Loharinag Pala project and the 480MW Pala Maneri project along the stretch of the Bhagirathi. “We’ll be left with a series of dry river beds, small lakes and tunnels carrying water for electricity,” said Agrawal. “Our mother Ganga is being destroyed.… They’re doing it for electricity.”  -  THE TELEGRAPH  LUCKNOW, May 31, 2008: The Janata Dal (United)president Sharad Yadav today said the unprecedented price rise was a result of the "wrong" development policies being pursued  by the UPA government. He was also critical of the UP government's Ganga Expressway project saying it would have an adverse impact on the river.   River Conservation Satyagraha year   Ranchi, May 29, 2008: Professor G.D. Agarwal, a noted environment scientist of  Uttarakhand, would begin on his fast-unto-death demanding purification of the Ganga — from Gangotri to Uttarkashi, said Rajendra Singh, the Magsaysay Award winner. “The water community in the country has also decided to observe this year as the River Conservation Satyagraha year, which would formally begin on June 13, 2008” said Singh.

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