Pics: Shashikanth Shetty
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (HB)
Udupi, Jul 29: A motor bike rally in support of the campaign to save Indrani rivulet was kicked off on Sunday July 28. The campaign is supported by a number of peer groups, organizations, local people and environmentalists.
The motor bike rally began from Mukhyaprana temple in Indrali here.
"We cannot bring changes in a hurry. It takes at least two to three years to bring about significant changes. Therefore, we have to work phase by phase. The main purpose of the Jatha is to create awareness among the general public and sensitizing the people about this important issue. The media plays an important role in spreading the message. People should understand the purity of Indrani Theertha rivulet. We should feel proud of the fact that this rivulet is a divine gift for Udupi people, and this river finds mention in Sapta Masthrika Aaradhana. Thus we need to protect this rivulet. Nature will not wait for anyone, as she is known to purify herself in ways like the one we had witnessed in Kedarnath, Sullia, Madikeri and so on. Last year an innocent girl lost her life due to encroachment of riverbed. Let us join hands for the protection of this river. People will be devoid of stench and diseases spread by the river because of its present condition," said convener of the drive Srikanth Shetty.
He was speaking after flagging off the bike rally near Lord Mukhyaprana temple pond at Indrali.
Shrikanth Shetty said, “As Dr Ravindranath Shanbhag said, we will never hold bike rally or protest in future. Let us directly take the fight to the National Green Tribunal against the apathy of the city Municipal towards the rivulet till we get justice. Council is the first accused, as it causes contamination of the rivulet's water. Hence, Court must be take action against them," he felt.
He also charged the city municipal council with granting of no objection certificates to a number of commercial buildings, flats and residential buildings in the area, in spite of being fully aware that they discharge effluents into the rivulet through the underground pipeline.
"Balakrishna Kodavoor has taken the initiative for this drive and we will take a firm resolve in days to come. Next Sunday we will be launching ‘sticker drive’, which convey some shlokas and lines from the scriptures about Indrani Theertha. This sticker will be pasted on all doors of the houses, starting right from Indrali to Kalmadi. Therefore, every morning when they see that sticker, they will realize their mistakes. We will hold campaigns in schools. We will put all effort to get a strong verdict from the National Green Tribunal", said Shrikanth Shetty.
Shanbhag said that if the river is cleaned, drinking water will be available to the city throughout the year and people will get relief from smell and disease. He said that forests and paddy fields were located on both sides of the rivulet in the past, and a number of families depended on the river.
Environmentalist, Premanand Kalmadi, also spoke on the occasion. He said that this rivulet was contributing to enriching the underground water table of the city in the past. "Due to industrialization, buildings have come up on fertile land here, and paddy fields have disappeared. There is no other way out of Indrani's revival," he reiterated.
The first thing is to be executed is a drainage project (UGD) from Manipal to Kunjibettu. Another is upgradation of drainage. This should happen with the support of friends and the team, he added.
Jayakar Shetty Indrali, general manager, Credit cooperative society Badagubettu and Dr Shanbhag offered milk to Indrani river, before starting the rally. Chandrakala Shetty and Shashank Pejathaya offered Bagina to sea.
Muralidhar Acharya, Murugeshi, senior archaeologist, T Raghavenda, Premananda Kalmadi, environmentalist, Prakash Malpe, president, Samvedana trust, Ranjan Kalkura, propraitor Kalkura Builders and Developers, were present.
Hundreds of people participated actively in the rally.