''Clean Gomti drive'' reaches Namisharan; people join drive

Lucknow, Jun 28 (UNI) Under the Nagar Palika drive ''clean Gomti'' people of Uttar Pradesh are helping out the workers to remove filth from the Gomti river.

The drive which began in the state capital has now reached the much revered religious place ''Namisharan'' where people along with government employees were engaged in cleaning drive at all the points of the river, including bathing and cremation banks, Sitapur district Nagar Palika officer Anuj Kaushik said.

Even non-governmental organisations have joined the drive after the state government failed to clean Goomti.

Earlier, Lucknow mayor Dinesh Sharma, Muslim ulemas, saints and priests and students of Lucknow university contributed their efforts to remove filth from the river.

The government had also planned to establish a ''severage treatment plant'' on the directives of the High Court, but, it remained on papers only. However, later the court re-issued the directives and severage plant was established by the initiatives of then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

So far, Rs 131 crore have been invested in cleaning the 940 kilometre long river, in which nearly 42 crore litres sewage water is being poured by 35 small and big nullahs.

Azad Sewa Samiti, Shahid Smarak Samiti, Art of Living and many others were making efforts in the cleaning drive.

Besides, rallies were being organised to creat awareness among the public and associate them with the drive.

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