Itanagar: YMCR worried about river pollution
Itanagar
River justice group Youth Mission for Clean River (YMCR) has submitted a memorandum pertaining to depleting natural streams and river pollution in the capital complex region in particular in the state as a whole to the Chief Secretary of Arunachal Pradesh.
YMCR Chairman S D Loda in the memorandum stated that to beat the increasing river pollution and to save the depleting streams, the forum voluntarily, with their own expenses is spearheading a state-wide Public Awareness Campaign across the state with the theme “Clean River Mission”.
Lamenting Govt’s apathy over the burning issue, Loda said he has written several letters to the state government in this regard which however has gone unheard till today. The most unfortunate part is that neither the Government nor any of its machinery is joining with us in this mission to save our lifelines, he added.
‘The government is well aware of the dumping of muck into the streams due to rampant earth cutting and unplanned human settlement near the natural streams which is one of the important factors for depleting natural streams and the river pollution, however, no action or plan has been taken yet’.
The river activist also informed that the National Green Tribunal in its various judgments directed the state government to take appropriate steps for the preservation of natural streams and to keep the river free from pollution. It also directed the various state governments to set up sewage treatment plants connecting all the drains to STP in order to prevent direct sewage disposal into the natural rivers and streams. The NGT had many a time expressed its dissatisfaction over the failure of the government for the protection of the natural streams. The carelessness attitude of the state government in the past and the present are the factors responsible for the depleted natural streams and river pollution, Loda said.
Informing that rivers, Senki, Pachin, Dikrong, which are the lifeline of the denizens of the Capital city is now highly polluted and become unfit for human consumption and the biggest threat to aquatic life, Loda said the volume of this rivers are decreasing day by day.
The small streams which pass through the various locality of the capital city, once which were the main tributaries and the source of the Senki-Pachin-Dikrong River have become the sewage carriers, even some of them have already run out of water due to rampant earth cutting and muck dumping. The Yagamso stream which passes through the Heart of Itanagar is the main sewage carrier which contributes 50 percent in polluting the Senki River, Loda said.
He also informed in the memorandum that the Lagun River which passes through Naharlagun City is also highly polluted and on verge of depletion due to direct disposal of the toilet and household waste. Many structures have been already constructed near the river bank which disturbs the natural course of the rivers and streams which are again one of the main causes of the flood in the city during monsoon.
The YMCR chairman further requested the CS to constitute a committee to collect the status of the natural streams and rivers across the capital city and take appropriate steps for the protection of natural streams and rivers.
