Spiritual guru takes campaign to save Narmada river to streets

Bhopal: A spiritual guru from Narsinghpur, Bhaiyaa ji, crusading against illegal sand mining and pollution in Narmada river for the past 17 months have now threatened to stage a Bhopal bandh and start a a fast unto death if the government doesn't act by July 30. Bhaiyaa ji, the spiritual guru has already organised a bandh in 10 districts located on the river bank.The spiritual guru has already filed two PILs raising the issue of pollution in the river.
"After committing to work for the river's conservation, the government has not acted. We have taken our fight for the river on the streets and now it's time to intensify the fight", he said. He alleged, "from chief minister to ministers and MLA everybody is responsible for the plight of the river. They all are responsible for the illegal sand mining from the sacred river."
Talking to a group of reporters here on Monday, Bhaiya ji said , "Seventeen months ago, I stopped eating grains. After July 30, I will give up taking water to save the river."
He wondered why the chief minister is "silent" over the issue and claimed hundreds of nullahs and tonnes of untreated sewage water is flowing down into river.
"Illegal sand mining is so rampant along Narmada and those involved in it seem to be unstoppable. Besides sand mafia, liquor mafia too has been active in the Narmada parikrama circle", he alleged.
After his organisation Narmada mission filed a public interest litigation in MP high court, Jabalpur in 2013, he said, the government had filed an affidavit saying it will start Narmada water purification and conservation scheme by 2014, but sadly there has been no progress. After another petition, the high court sought explanation from government about the work done in this direction.
He said the bandh called on the issue of Narmada river in cities of Jabalpur, Hoshangabad, Mandla, Dindori, Lakhnadaun and Chhindwara among others evoked "a good response".