Roy to take up ‘Subarnarekha’ for cleaning

After its successful stint with Damodar River for making it pollution free, Damodar Bachao Andolan will now take up Subarnarekha River for getting it freed from pollution.

Talking to media persons at his official residence here, Chairman of Damodar Bachao Andolan and Civil Supplies Minister Saryu Roy, also added that Damodar Mahotsav will be celebrated magnanimously this year to mark 12 years of movement and will be inaugurated by Governor Droupadi Murmu on May 24 at Chulahapani, the origin point of Damodar River.

“It is first of its kind initiative in the country where efforts were made to make 300 km long river pollution free, in which we also succeeded to a large extent as most of the part of it has been made pollution free barring few areas,” said Roy. Now, we will take up Subarnarekha River dividing it into five parts right from its origin near Piska Nagri in Ranchi till its exits point in Jharkhand at Galudih Barrage, he added.

“Once we start, we will be able to get it pollution free within a year,” said Roy. In addition to that, we will also start addressing air pollution in the State which has been deteriorating primarily due to open transportation of coal through Grand Trunk Road in Jharkhand mostly coming from West Bengal, he added.

“I have also written to the Police Head in the State to check illegal transportation of coal in open trucks through road so that people living beside the GT road could also get fresh air,” said the minister.

Referring to Damodar Mahotsav to be inaugurated by Murmu at Chulhapani in Lohardaga, the minister said that Chief Minister Raghubar Das will be present during Ganga Aarti at Ramgarh in the evening.

“Damodar Mahotsav will be organized at 33 locations on the bank of the river right from its origin to its end point at Panchet Dam, to be attended by local MLAs, MPs and officials of the State Government to witness Ganga Aarti taking place at each of those points,” said Roy. Last year, while inaugurating Damodar Mahotsav at Chulhapani, the Chief Minister had announced that the day of Ganga Dusshehra will be declared as River Conservation Day in the State, he added.

“People take a pledge to make Damodar River pollution free by worshiping the river in a traditional way, besides organizing seminars and debates on the issue of conservation of ecology as a whole,” said the minister.

In a bid to give this effort a comprehensive approach, a 7-day ‘Environmental Conclave’ and ‘Paryavaran Mela’ will be held by Yugantar Bharti from May 29 to June 5 at Audrey House in Ranchi to showcase different dimensions of environment and to minimise adverse impact of different types of pollution.

“The idea behind this conclave is to showcase different dimensions of environment, minimization of adverse impact on it due to various economic and anthropogenic activities,” said Roy. Special focus will be made on the ways and means of its protection and conservation during the conclave, he added.

Roy further added that cultural programmes based on environmental issues will also be organized during the programme daily at the open theatre in Audrey House.