New Delhi: Spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi
Shankar on Tuesday night launched an eight-day programme to clean
Yamuna and create awareness among people to restore the
river's past glory.
At a function here, Ravi Shankar said people should join
hands and make others aware about making water of the river
clean, pure and drinkable.
"Earlier rivers used to pure us, but today we have reached
a stage where we have to clean the rivers. Only the government
and a single agency can't make it happen. We have to make it
by joining hands," he told a gathering of bureaucrats,
artists, politicians and dignitaries at the Purana Quila here.
Ravi Shankar exhorted people to take the cleaning work as
an emergency call and said the Art of Living with the help of
various governmental and non-governmental agencies will begin
the cleaning of the Yamuna Ghats from tomorrow till March 24.
Ravi Shankar will himself begin the drive at ITO tomorrow.
The government launched a programme in 1993 but so far it
has not been completed, he said, adding that it is the "sacred
duty" of Delhiites to not only clean the river but also fight
against all the ills and pollution in society.
"We will make the programme a success, I have the habit of
making possible the impossible. So together we will make the
programme a success," he said and stressed that the government
should not worry about money as through contributions crores
of rupees can be collected.
Over 100 NGOs have extended support to the initiative and
will organise mass awareness programmes in schools, colleges
and door-to-door campaign on the cleaning of the Yamuna in the
national capital and surrounding areas.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, March 16, 2010, 23:42