Agra students join hands to clean River Yamuna

Agra, Mar 23 (ANI): Hundreds of school students joined social activists and environmentalists here in a mass campaign to clean River Yamuna.

Holding placards and banners, scores of activists including children, took out a rally and spread mass awareness about their responsibility to keep the River Yamuna clean.

The drive was jointly organised by the Municipal Corporation of Agra and a voluntary forum named Brija Conservation Society.

"On the occasion of World Water Day, the Municipal Corporation and the Brija Conservation Society have launched a cleaning campaign in River Yamuna...the banks of river are polluted with polythene bags and other pollutants...we also received many suggestions on river cleaning and we would implement them as soon as possible," said Anjula Singh Mahaur, Mayor of Agra.

Students wished that the citizens of Agra would help in sustained drive to keep the river clean.

"We want to make River Yamuna clean. People dump garbage, flower garlands and other pollutants in the river and today we extracted these pollutants from the river...we request people not to dump garbage and other pollutants in the river and help us in the cleanliness drive," said Shubham, a student.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB), the water of the River Yamuna is unfit not just for drinking but also for bathing and washing.

A major pollutant of Yamuna is New Delhi. The city alone contributes 3,296 MLD (million litres per day) of sewage falling into the river.

Another nine percent of the pollution is attributed to Agra. (ANI)