Magsaysay award-winner ‘Waterman’ Rajendra Singh, who stepped down from National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) along with two others protesting government’s “negligence” of the river, on Sunday criticised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for “not understanding his responsibility” towards the river as head of the body.
Addressing a press conference, Mr. Rajendra Singh said he would come out with a Ganga Lok Bill within a week proposing “strong and effective” legislative measures to protect the river.
“He is a sober Prime Minister but I am angry that he did not understand his responsibilities towards Ganga... The Prime Minister never tried to understand suggestions and activities of the members (of NGRBA),” Rajendra Singh said.
Mr. Rajendra Singh along with Ravi Chopra and R.H. Siddiqi had sent their resignation letters to Dr. Manmohan Singh on Saturday, who is chairman of the NGRBA, protesting inaction of the body in protecting the river and expressing solidarity with noted environmentalist G.D. Agrawal who is on “fast-unto-death” to press for cleaning up the Ganga.
Announcing their decision to quit the NGRBA, the three members charged the Centre with “gross negligence towards worsening state of the holy river” and said the government has neither political will nor any executable plan to save the Ganga. They also criticised the Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand and West Bengal, who are members of the NGRBA, for failing to take any steps to protect the river.
The NGRBA was constituted on February 20, 2009, under Section 3(3) of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and its objective was to ensure effective control of pollution and conservation of the river by adopting a river-basin approach for comprehensive planning and management.
“We may humbly point out that though the Authority has been constituted nearly three years back but it has met only twice. There has been no meeting for the last one and a half year in spite of our repeated requests. It is also on record that no worthwhile action has been taken by the Authority on any of the critical issues concerning the river Ganga,” the three members said in their resignation letter to the Prime Minister.
While Mr. Chopra is the Director of Dehradun-based People’s Science Institute, Mr. Siddiqi is a former Professor of Aligarh Muslim University.
That's so unfortunate that government has no time to take any action on such important issue !!
Why should Manmohan singh understand, he is not the Prime Minister
representing the will of Indian people, He simply represents congress
party high command which has proved by its actions that it does not
represent Indian National Interests.Dont know how much time people shall
take to realise this simple reality.
The same manmohan have had neglected so many S.O.S calls from Tamils in srilanka as well as from so called tamilnadu to help innocent civilians from evil forces of SL ind. and so many others.
india is getting worse in its morals.
Indians must realise it and make the necessary changes soon.
Otherwise India will face the fate of former soviet union soon....
This is a serious allegation on our PM. Mr. PM should respond or he should accept his incapability of heading the board. Such a shame that we have to fight to keep our rivers clean . . . tomorrow fight for clean air . . Jago Mr. PM ... Jago
It is very tragic that the Authority constituted for National purpose has not regularly met
since it was made three years back. Mr. Rajendra Singh and the other two members have
done a correct thing by resigning. The Prime Minister should take the matter very
seriously and owe an explanation to the Nation.
People like Mr. Rajendra Singh, Mr. Siddiqui and Mr. Chopra are badly
needed by our country. We have been relentlessly using our abundant
natural resources with any conscience to protect it. It is mere shame
for us that Ganga the river responsible for the upbringing of our age
old civilization has been tortured and neglected by us in the name of
religious activities, industrial developments etc. Mr Manmohan Singh
cannot take this matter easily like this, but at the same time people
must also refrain themselves from wasting this holy river in the name
of religion and development, and it is an urge to everyone to avoid
this boiled frog syndrome.
MMS is busy in cleansing the dirt from his party. Ganga occupies only a place in
memory if he finds time and permission from 10 Janapath.
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