Locals take out procession to save Ganga

Varanasi, May 3 (UNI) Concerned over the dismal condition of holy river Ganga, people here today took out a motor cycle procession in lanka area.

The procession was flagged off by Dwarka Peeth's Jagatguru Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati and Maulana Mufti Vatin's followers.

The procession marched from chowk ranting slogans '' kashi kee janata ne thana hai, ganga ko bachana hai'' (the people of the city have decided to save the Ganga), ''jan jan kee yahi pukar-- ganga maiya ka ho uddhar'' (everyone wanted ganga free from pollution) and ''ganga bachao.. kashi bachao '' ( save ganga, save kashi).

Swami Avimukteshwaranand said, ''people must be alarmed about the pollution in the river.'' He further said, ''Irrespective of any caste, colour or creed, Ganga belonged to every citizen of India.

Everyone should come forward to save the river.'' Making scathing remark on the UP government, he said it is useless to expect any help from the government.

Maulana Mufti Vatin said, ''we should continue our struggle for keeping ganga pollution free as the river is the lifeline of this country.'' The president of Maa Ganga Raksham Navyuvak Sangharsh Samiti Kashi Mahesh Nawalgadhia demanded that the government should immediately declare Ganga a national heritage and effective measures to check the pollution be made.

Sewer lines opening at Ganga and polluted water of tanneries in industrial cities going directly in the river should be banned to save the river, he said.

He also demanded adequate release of water from Tehri and Narora dams to increase the flow of the river.

A large number of people participated in the nobel cause.

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