River lovers and green activists in Agra on Sunday celebrated World Rivers Day, at the Etmauddaula view-point park, by cleaning up a stretch of Yamuna bank and taking out a rally to demand a comprehensive National Rivers Policy along with constitution of a Central Rivers Authority to manage major rivers of India.

Eminent environmentalist and member of the River Connect Campaign, Devashish Bhattacharya said "the world rivers day commemorates the many values of rivers and encourages river stewardship and conservational efforts around the world. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic public participation in the annual event was restricted, but small groups joined river front activities and through web-seminars highlighted the pathetic plight of most rivers in India".

In fact the pandemic had underlined the important contribution of healthy rivers to our well-being, he added.

"Most rivers are facing increasing pressures associated with climate change, industrial pollution, fallouts of haphazard urbanization and population explosion. Even after seven decades of Independence India does not have a clear road map or a national rivers policy, resulting in protracted wrangling among states over water-sharing and maintenance of waterways," Pramod Gautam, chairman of the Vedic Sutram, after the Yamuna March, told IANS.

This year's theme is "waterways in our communities" to stress on the need for protecting and conserving urban waterways.

"The importance of clean freshwater is essential to the fight against Covid-19 so World Rivers Day is a timely opportunity for literally millions of people around the world to come together to commemorate the importance of healthy vibrant waterways," said Mark Angelo, the founder and Chair of World Rivers Day, in his message to the river activists.

"Rivers are integral to all life," said Angelo, who has paddled more than 1,000 rivers in over 100 countries, perhaps more than any other. Angelo's life-long commitment to river conservation, including the founding of World Rivers Day, is also the subject of the upcoming feature length film, "Last Paddle: 1,000 Rivers, One Life".

In the Braj Mandal, the River Connect Campaign has been actively involved in conservational efforts to save Yamuna river from further degradation.

"Though the river Yamuna is considered sacred, being the beloved consort of Sri Krishna, the Brijbasis are pained to see the river choking to death due to pollution by industries and civic bodies that seem to have no control over sewage discharge," said Jagan Nath Poddar, convener of Friends of Vrindavan.

Rivers are our lifelines and our future is intricately linked to the health of our holy rivers, added Vrindavan green activist Madhu Mangal.

"Though the district administration had declared Agra ODF (open defecation free) people were still going to the river bed to answer nature's calls, a sight that is a real put-off early in the morning," activist Rahul Raj said.

(IANS)