Eco-conservation being viewed as anti-national activity: activist
‘Waterman’ stresses the need to counter global warming
The governments in the country are viewing environmental conservation
efforts as “anti-national activities”, Magsaysay-award winning river
conservation activist Rajendra Singh has said.
Giving away an award instituted in the name of environmental activist Kallen Pokkudan to District Congress Committee president T. Siddique here on Thursday, he said that there would be good governance in the country only if the ecology was conserved. Progressive governments should be able to solve environmental issues amicably. Stressing the need for water literacy to counter global warming, Mr. Singh said that the issue should not be mixed up with politics.
He said that Malayalis need to wake up from their self-induced lethargy about the need to conserve rivers. “You people now get good annual rainfall. But don’t think that this situation will last forever. If you don’t conserve rivers, most of which have become waterbodies carrying sewage, the future will be difficult,” he said. Mr. Singh said that almost 66% of diseases in the country were caused by consumption of water from polluted rivers.
The activist, known as the ‘Waterman of India’, went around the historic Mananchira in the evening and examined the conservation efforts.
Earlier, interacting with around 200 school students who are part of the National Service Scheme, and environmental activists, he said that even rivers had the right to life like human beings. “Any move against this should be viewed as a human rights violation. It is not the governments, but the local people who need to conserve rivers,” Mr. Singh said.
The programme was held at the Kothi beach as part of river conservation week organised by the Kerala Nadi Samrakshana Samiti. Mr. Singh read out a pledge on river conservation to students.
Giving away an award instituted in the name of environmental activist Kallen Pokkudan to District Congress Committee president T. Siddique here on Thursday, he said that there would be good governance in the country only if the ecology was conserved. Progressive governments should be able to solve environmental issues amicably. Stressing the need for water literacy to counter global warming, Mr. Singh said that the issue should not be mixed up with politics.
He said that Malayalis need to wake up from their self-induced lethargy about the need to conserve rivers. “You people now get good annual rainfall. But don’t think that this situation will last forever. If you don’t conserve rivers, most of which have become waterbodies carrying sewage, the future will be difficult,” he said. Mr. Singh said that almost 66% of diseases in the country were caused by consumption of water from polluted rivers.
The activist, known as the ‘Waterman of India’, went around the historic Mananchira in the evening and examined the conservation efforts.
Earlier, interacting with around 200 school students who are part of the National Service Scheme, and environmental activists, he said that even rivers had the right to life like human beings. “Any move against this should be viewed as a human rights violation. It is not the governments, but the local people who need to conserve rivers,” Mr. Singh said.
The programme was held at the Kothi beach as part of river conservation week organised by the Kerala Nadi Samrakshana Samiti. Mr. Singh read out a pledge on river conservation to students.
Comments
Post a Comment