Missile man and former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, in the role of an environmentalist, has called upon Delhites to be involved in cleaning of the city's lifeline, Yamuna river. The ex-president is a man of his own stature and thinks very deeply. These days Dr Kalam is busy in social works. As regards the river Yamuna, it has been polluted from whereever it is flowing, near Kanpur, Allahabad and Agra by industrial units established there as also the people living there. Near Kanpur Dehat, the dirty water from leather factories is drained in the river.

By Rashme Sehgal June 16: Prof. G.D. Aggarwal, who is sitting on a fast unto death in Uttarkashi from June 13, fears the construction of six hydel projects on the upper Ganga between the Gangotri glacier and Uttarkashi will see a drying-up of the river for over a 50-km stretch.

Malda : The Farakka Barrage authorities have decided to deploy the Central Industrial Security Force at Manikchak where residents have stalled anti-erosion work along the Ganga. At an all-party meeting at the district magistrate's office here today, the administration endorsed the barrage authorities' decision to deploy the para-military force from tomorrow to enable them to go ahead with the work.

TIMES VIEW Keep off the business of faith Who said the government is insensitive to the needs of the public? Keeping in mind the religious sentiments of many Hindus, post offices in Ghaziabad have started to sell bottled Ganga water. They will earn a commission on each bottle sold. A private company and Garhwal Vikas Mandal, a government body, are responsible for procurement and packaging of the water sourced from Gaumukh in the Himalayas.

If Earth survives, so shall life

Sir

Ten of the largest rivers in the world are dying. Amongst these are the Ganga, Indus, Nile, Yangtze, Mekong and Danube that are the lifeline of millions of people. These rivers are not merely water sources but repositories of history, myths and cultural memories. And, the greatest threat to these and many other rivers is industrial pollution apart from natural sewage channels.

The West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) has will be involving 126 municipalities of the state for the

A sharp fall in the water level of the Ganga downstream from Narora in Bulandshahr district of western Uttar Pradesh has fuelled fears of the grand old river being reduced to a trickle at the holy Sangam in Allahabad. The fall in the level of the river, considered the lifeline of the State since ancient times, has set alarm bells ringing. The state of the river in Varanasi is no better than in Allahabad.

An exhibit at the Birla Industrial and Technological Museum. Picture by Amit Datta The next best thing to a Hooghly cruise with your child this summer could be a visit to the Birla Industrial and Technological Museum for a virtual journey through the rivers of the world. The museum is holding the exhibition to commemorate its 49th anniversary and will be open for 45 days before travelling to other cities.