GUWAHATI, Jan 17 - Internationally-acclaimed actor Adil Hussain has said that collective will is imperative to harnessing the potential of river tourism in the State.
Hussain, who was speaking at the roundtable on Brahmaputra organised at the Fifth Jeevan Kite & River Festival, gave an account of the experiences with various rivers around the world.
The event, organised by Volunteers� Association Jeevan Initiative, ended with the adoption of a vision for the river.
Dr Abdul Wakid, a river dolphin expert, spoke on the issues of biodiversity of the river. Dr Rafique Zaman, chief environmental scientist of Pollution Control Board, Assam (PCBA), expressed the view that the Brahmaputra is much cleaner than other rivers in India, and attributed it to its strong current flow.
IIT Guwahati associate professor Dr Basonta Ranjan Baruah said that the disappearance of water-bodies in the State has direct or indirect impact on the river and therefore, those should be preserved with long-term planning.
Journalist Manoram Gogoi suggested that a department on the Brahmaputra should be opened at the universities in the State.
Writer Atanu Bhattacharya observed that a pessimistic attitude towards one�s own state and its resources had caused immense damage to the region. Academician Santikam Hazarika called for increasing the number of such dialogues for a concrete realistic and scientific vision for the river.
Founder of Jeevan Initiative Suresh Ranjan Goduka said that the Brahmaputra �was not a problem, but potential.�
The dialogue was part of Jeevan�s Brahmaputra Campaign. Youngsters in good numbers also took part in the deliberations.
Around 70,000 people thronged the festival site, connecting themselves with the river that has nurtured them over the ages.
