GUWAHATI, Nov 10 - Voluntary organisation Save Guwahati Build Guwahati (SGBG) today demanded that steps be taken by the State Government to restore the pristine glory of the Bharalu.
The rivulet, which is connected with the socio-cultural heritage of the Guwahatians, should be treated in the manner at par with the treatment meted out by the civilised countries to their rivulets or rivers, said the voluntary organisation.
Resenting the authorities� act of blocking the Bharalu at its confluence point in the name of the Brahmaputra Pushkar Mela festival, SGBG president Krishno Kanto Borooah and its vice-president Ajoy Dutta said this is quite contrary to the environment conservation norms. They also resented the act of paralysing the Kamrup (Metro) district administration in the name of this festival.
They have alleged that the water level of the Bharalu has risen because of the blocking of the rivulet. This has posed a serious threat to public health in the city. The authorities concerned without bothering to keep the Bharalu clean by eliminating the sources that pollute the rivulet have gone to the extent of blocking it in a bid to keep the pilgrims �safe� while taking dips in the Brahmaputra as part of the Pushkar Mela rituals. This is an illogical and nefarious act on the part of the administration.
Moreover, it is also a matter of serious concern that the authorities have diverted the Bharalu water to the environmentally important Deepor Beel, which is the lone Ramsar Site wetland of the State.
No civilised society in this era of growing consciousness on environment protection can allow such environmentally dangerous acts that pose serious threats not only to public health but also to the entire environment and ecology of a city.
SGBG demanded that an effective plan be immediately chalked out by the State Government to restore the pristine condition of the Bharalu and execute it in no time. It has appealed to all conscious Guwahatians to rise in unison in support of this demand.
Suggesting a solution to the similar issues of involving the administration in the festivals like the Pushkar Mela, Borooah and Dutta said the State Government should take recourse to a roster system to keep the administration functioning in case such festivals are organised in the days ahead. Or else, such festivals would result in great suffering and loss to the society, they added.
