Swecha on CNN , YFJ on a trip to Agra

Eureka Eureka! it was on TV today as I was thinking of a complete trip from the source of the Yamuna to Taj , I was glad to know there was someone had done it. I was happy to know that there were people out there fighting it out.

Vimlendu Jha - www.swfc.org.in has embarked on the journey to clean up Yamuna , he is featured in the series - Be The Change on CNN.

All the information -

www.edition.cnn.com/CNNI/Programs/bethechange/vimlendu

Let Yamuna tell her story as you walk beside her

Delhi kids give a lesson or two on the bank of Yamuna

What was more interesting to find was that the Delhi government has been looking to beautify and make a bridge across the Yamuna
Showpiece bridge over Yamuna will not harm river

There was more good news, I did hear from Todd today and he was more than happy to help.And that was not it there was another group of enthusiasts who were fighting for the same cause. www.y4j.blogspot.com

They were on a road trip to agra recently. They also sensitise students through Orkut (youth4justice) and through theirblog (y4j.blogspot.com). These are the student hubs and we don't want to leave any stone unturned to garner as much support as they can.

Mixed Feelings

As I read through a link - http://www.yamunagentlyweeps.com/
I had mixed feelings about the importance of cleaning up a river at the expense of the people who are the very part of the city they help to build.Its definitely a huge decision to make for authorities looking into the whole socio-political composition of this city.

Its not a mere "cleaning up problem" that everyone agree to, its more to do with the sewage-water treatment problem that our city is grappling with growing population.And this is not as simple a problem to resolve going through the STP report

The scope of the study includes the following
i) collection of data on water supply and future growth;
ii) wastewater generation, existing sewerage system and sewage treatment plants (STPs);
iii) proposals for augmenting capacity of sewage treatment plants;
iv) status of existing sewerage system; v) sewage treatment capacity & its utilization;
vi) amount of sewage flow in the drains/nallas joining the river Yamuna;
vii) main tributaries of major drains;
viii) quality of waste water flowing in the 22 drains out falling into the river Yamuna;
ix) performance study of each of the 30 STPs in Delhi in terms of pH, COD, BOD, coliforms, conductivity and TSS;
x) evaluation of the gap between wastewater generation and treatment status and; xi) finally to assess overall reduction in BOD load generated in Delhi & the load getting into the river Yamuna.

The complete report can be found here :
www.cpcb.nic.in/oldwebsite/New%20Item/Report-STP-Delhi/STP%20Report%20-Chapter2%20(Methodology).doc

River Clean Up

Here is what we can do:

River cleanups are a key to keeping rivers beautiful, here are three ways you can help:

1. On your own: You can conduct a river cleanup of your own, the next time you go to a river, perhaps with a few friends or fellow. Just take along some trash bags, gloves, and perhaps a small shovel or pruning saw to help extricate junk. Take your camera, too, so you can take a few photos of your cleanup and post them here.
   
2. With a larger group: If you are organizing a river cleanup, post it here, Organizing a larger group: If you are thinking about organizing a river cleanup, following is an outline to get you started.

Checklist for organizing a river cleanup:

1. Form a planning group, consisting of people interested in helping to organize the cleanup.
2. Line up financial support.
3. Select a site.
4. Create a detailed action plan. Plan for the safety of the participants, and plan for the support material you will need:
   --Trash bags or other containers.
   --Tools.
   --Heavy equipment, if necessary.
   --Sanitary facilities.
   --Refreshments.
   --Safety support: local police and paramedics.
   --Insurance coverage.
   --Prizes for the participants.
5. Arrange for disposal and recycling.
6. Publicize the cleanup, through:
   --Local media.
   --Posters and brochures.
   --Public speaking, at events and group meetings.
   --Post the cleanup to this web site and other relevant websites.
7. Recruit volunteers.
8. Coordinate the cleanup day.
9. Publicize your accomplishments:
   --Take before-and-after photographs.
   --Keep track of the items removed during the cleanup.
   --Record the names, addresses, and phones of all volunteers and sponsors.
   --Report the results to local media, sponsors, and other organizations.
10. Evaluate the cleanup, and make suggestions for next time.
11. Adopt the river after cleanup. Make plans that will keep it clean and monitor water quality.

Source: River Conservation Website

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Lakshya

Well .everyone seems to be looking for a cause .. and I guess this ones mine..for simple reasons..

Most of the most beautiful cities in the world are based by the river. And its sad we have not been able to tap on the beauty of our very own yamuna.. I imagine to go canoeing or maybe just boat tripping on a this very river .. I imagine to take a stroll by the river in the wooded forest trails that cab developed by the river side.. I dont want to see my kids,friends sitting in front of the TV rather go out doors for a picnic by the river ..or a nice floating dinner on the boat .. its a long wishlist ..will keep compiling it..

So that was the vision and the mission ..nows the more important thing of how to go about it .. simple steps ..get people together ..and start the clean up on own by organising River Clean up tours.. and in the process collect people and data and keep them together.

All You Can Read

I got some interesting links today, trying to gather information and hopefully put it all together:


http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/unholy-water-delhis-rotting-river-818774.html

http://indiatoday.digitaltoday.in/a-village-of-woes-10.html

http://www.cseindia.org/misc/pdf/Yamuna_Presentation.pdf

http://in.rediff.com/money/2007/feb/17guest.htm

http://india.indymedia.org/en/2003/06/5257.shtml

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/456103406.cms

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2007/06/11/100083453/index.htm

Clean Up Links

http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp;jsessionid=A920BC1202AC4C72FE888D6EBBD4A4BF?articleID=129853

http://www.thames-path.org.uk/

http://www.thamesrivercleanup.ca/

Quite a few things missing in Delhi include absence of water sports, the link below got pointers to some of these places.

http://www.newdelhi.net/Community/clubs/index.asp

One thing missing is any central body or its just my alack of awareness towards it. In the name of a sailing club I did manage to find a phone number that i gave a try, but the number does not exist..So i will visit the place over the weekend.When Burt from NewZealand can travel the entire world to Bonsville in his quest to become the Fastest Indian.. so can we.

In the name of water sports another article found was as below :

Water Sports and Fishing

A multi-sports and leisure complex has been created by Delhi Tourism at Bhalswa lake, situated at Delhi’s northeastern edge. This offers facilities for boating in pedal boats, kayaks, canoes and speedboats. Keen anglers can also indulge in fishing. Hovercraft and water scooters have been introduced for the first time in Delhi at this lake. Pedal boats at reasonable rates are available at Hari Nagar, India Gate, Purana Qila, Prasad Nagar and Naini Lakes. Special training programmes in Kayaking and canoeing are organised at Prasad Nagar and Naini Lake.

Jal Yodha

Jal Yodha - Dev Anand Shukhla from Allahabad is what got me going to go google over Save Yamuna campaigns running in delhi. It was my uneasiness while driving over the bridge on the now "cow-grazing marshes turned Yamuna" every day to work that got me to pen my thoughts down.I have heard the pen is mightier than the sword so I thought let me give it a try, cos I wont ever get a sword but then neither am I using a pen to pen this down..ironic!!

To my amazement there was not even a single website dedicated to the cause . Then I tried some social networking websites where I did see the little beginnings but as most other social network forums that is where it ended also.

To start with I wrote two emails one to Mr Naqvi,of whom I chanced to read about in one of these articles on the net and the second to the CM(delhi) out of pure cynism to find out if they are aware that their website - http://www.delhigovt.nic.in/yrda/default.asp on Yamuna River Development Authority- does not provide any vital information on my quest.

Here I did find a few "Suggestions Post" the most interesting one was how do I join it , which is what I was expecting to get information on but then there too there was nothing more than those little beginnings. That I was the 700th -shh customer did not shock me at all . I did try to download a couple of PDF's under Yamuna Action Plan but to vein.

So I followed a link on Green Peace where I found a very useful link on Delhi Govt's Yamuna Action Plan website.
http://forum.greenpeace.org/int/showthread.php?t=1073
http://www.yap.nic.in/delhi-Pollution.asp

The information, figures present on this website happen to be pretty incomplete again so now I wonder where do I go next.. I then happen to find the an email address on the CM's page and i then again got going on writing another mail (thatz what I do for a living..most of the times).

This website got me excited with the detailed information on some real action plans too but when I got searching their tall claims of providing "This server maintains an up to date database of Physical and Financial progress of YAP components of JBIC funded YAP towns. " it came a cropper with data way back from 2001.

Hmm I still did not give up yet , I followed the links to the various NGO's involved in the Public Participation Awareness Campaign. As I clicked on the only link to a website on one of the NGO's in Delhi , I got a 404 (Page not found for all non-geeky people) on it.