Why is Modi govt silent on Swami Gyan Swaroop Sanand’s fast for Ganga?

Today, September 21 is 92nd day of fast by Swami Gyan Swaroop Sanand. He is fasting to save river Ganga. And, as usual the concerned Central Ministers and even the Prime Minister are doing nothing either to clean the river or to break his fast.

“Our government is considering the proposal for not installing the new hydropower projects on the upper reaches of river Ganga. In addition, we are also planning to stall the projects those have got approvals but not yet started. Our government is serious about Ganga Act and I assure you that it would be placed on the table for cabinet approval within a month,” wrote Nitin Gadkari, the Union minister for River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, in a letter sent to Swami Gyan Swaroop Sanand (known as Prof GD Agrawal) on July 3.

Even after mid-September nothing has been done as per assurances written in the letter. Presenting wrong targets, wrong facts and figures, and pretending to solve every problem without even knowing the problem is the most basic characteristic of present government.

Uma Bharati also sent a letter to Swami Sanand on July 1 stating that, “The Prime Minister has great faith in river Ganga. I have prepared a better plan for river Ganga and Nitin Gadkari ji is implementing the plan with dedication”. It is just surprising that Uma Bharti is patting herself for the rejuvenation plan, results of which are still invisible.

The Prime Minister often repeats that “I have not come to Varanasi on my own, but I was called by Maa Ganga”. Recently, during his birthday celebration, the Prime Minister told the gathering that, “Work for cleaning of Maa Ganga has been initiated from Gangotri to Gangasagar. For this work, the projects of worth Rs 21,000 crore have already been sanctioned and work on many large projects in Varanasi too are taking place”. Earlier in a letter sent to Prime Minister, Swami Sanand has raised his concern about the dedication and knowledge on the subject, of the State and Central officials. His concern is valid as the impacts of the so-called cleaning projects is not visible on the quality of the river water.

It must be remembered that Swami Gyan Swaroop Sanand sent his first letter on February 24 and then on June 13 to the Prime Minister with demand for river Ganga rejuvenation and he had added that if the demands are nor met he would begin his fast-unto-death on June 22. After he got no response from the Prime Minister, he began his fast and informed the PM of it on June 23. Even after 90 days of the fast, he is yet to hear from the Prime Minister, a self-proclaimed patron of river Ganga.

The demands of Swami Sanand are: all construction activities of hydro-power projects should be stopped and no new projects should be approved on the rivers - Alaknanda, Mandakini, Nandakini, Dhauliganga and Pindar (all tributaries of river Ganga); deforestation and mining activities should be stopped at least in basin area of Haridwar Kumbh area; pass the Draft Rules 2012 for river Ganga prepared by Ganga Mahasabha immediately either through the Parliament or through ordinance by the President; and form a Ganga-Bhakt council by nominating 20 dedicated experts. The PM has not responded to any of the letters, however Uma Bharti visited once and Nitin Gadkari has sent two letters with the request to end the fast.

Meanwhile, after critical condition Swami Sanand was admitted to AIIMS, Rishikesh, on August 13 and after treatment got discharged on August 21. He was diagnosed with starvation, acid peptic disease, systemic hypertension, coronary artery diseases, degenerative valvular heart disease and uncomplicated right direct inguinal hernia. He takes lime juice and water at present, but in a letter to PM on September 8, he informed that if his demands are not met he would leave taking water on October 10. Swami Sanand (Prof GD Agrawal) was professor at IIT Kanpur, Member Secretary of Central Pollution Control Board and Professor at Gramoday Vishwavidyalay. He was member of almost committees on Ganga either constituted by Central Government or Hon’ble Supreme Court of India. Prof Sanand belongs to almost extinct breed of environmentalists who believe in Gandhian way of life.

On the other hand, the government is claiming that work for river cleaning is being done on war-footing, several projects have been completed and several others are near completion. Nitin Gadkari claims that all the works would be completed by 2019. However, in another undated letter he has given only one example of diverting the 80 MLD of wastewater of a drain in Kanpur to a sewage treatment plant, and he also informs that total wastewater flow of that drain is 140 MLD. This means that all the wastewater is not treated and almost half of it still joins river Ganga without treatment.

It is not surprising that Swami Sanand blames the present government for the present status of river Ganga. He wrote to Nitin Gadkari, “the present status of river Ganga is due to your wrong policies and greed for so called economic development”. In another letter to PM, he stated, “not a single step has been initiated by you that would really benefit the Ganga”.