NATIONAL GATHERING OF FRIENDS OF THE RIVERS

NATIONAL GATHERING OF FRIENDS OF THE RIVERS

Dear Friends of the Rivers,

No matter where we work in India, our rivers are under threat.

The rapid industrialization to produce chemicals, petrochemicals, steel, and automobiles for the world market is polluting our rivers in remote rural and tribal areas.

Dam building which had been questioned in the 80’s and had slowed down has become aggressive with the limitless demands for energy for a globalising India.

The insane River-Linking project was supposed to take water from the flood prone east to the drought prone west. However, it is not just U.P and Bihar, which have suffered unprecedented, flood damage, Gujarat and Maharashtra too have had major flooding. The River Linking project has no basis in a period of climate change.

Rapid urbanization is eating into our rivers with land mafias grabbing the flood plains that rivers need for their own freedom and our security. From the 1st of August, a Yamuna Satyagraha has started to stop the encroachment into Yamnua’s flood plain by the Commonwealth Games and other projects. On 15th of August, our Independence Day Satyagrahis planted the National Flag in the river to celebrate the freedom of the river and to pledge themselves to defend her freedom.

All of us struggle in different parts of the country on different facets of threats to the integrity and freedom of our rivers. We feel the time has come to pull our energies together and put the defense of rivers at the center of our diverse struggles.

We, therefore are organizing a one day sharing and strategizing session of friends of the rivers from different parts of the country on 1st October, 2007 from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm at conference room no. 413, Indian Social Institute, Lodhi Road, New Delhi.

The objective of the gathering is to take stock of the state of our rivers and plan collective actions for the defense of our rivers.

We do hope you will join us.

Warm regards,



Rajendra Singh Prashant Bhushan Dr. Vandana Shiva
Jal Biradari Senior Advocate, Supreme Court Jal Swaraj Abhiyan