DDA bans concrete construction on Yamuna banks Some more good news: Away from the Yamuna riverfront, renovation work under way at the ancient Humayun's Tomb in Delhi on Wednesday. In a development that has come as a big relief to environmentalists and conservationists in the Capital, the Delhi Development Authority has decided not to allow any new proposal for concrete construction on the Yamuna banks in view of the upcoming 2010 Commonwealth Games in the city.

Residents of Shivsorem and Colomba in Rivona panchayat on Wednesday strongly opposed the renewal of a mining lease in the village. At a public hearing, organized by the Goa Pollution Control Board (GPCB) at Rivona VKSS Society, Rivona, residents feared that the mining activities would destroy the ecology in the village. Criticizing the environment assessment report submitted by the mining company, Gurudas Gaonkar of Shivsorem claimed that though Shivsorem ward has a population of 400 villagers located barely 25 metres from the mining pit, the ward was not shown in the report.

Efforts to save the Ganga got another fillip on Wednesday, with sadhus from Rishikesh and Haridwar, including yoga guru Baba Ramdev, joining the fight and declaring the formation of the Ganga Raksha Manch. Ramdev, while launching his nationwide movement to save the Ganga, warned:

The Lieutenant Governor has directed the Delhi Development Authority not to allow any construction for recreational use on the Yamuna river front (Zone

The Save Ganga Movement, which began with a fast unto death by a former IIT professor, may turn into a major political issue ahead of the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. After more than 30 Hindutva outfits supported the movement, Baba Ramdev announced the formation of the Ganga Raksha Manch at Haridwar on Tuesday. Although it was said that the manch would not be affiliated to any political party, the presence of senior VHP leaders Ashok Singhal and Pravin Togadia raises many questions.

Our rivers are in a bad state, have been for a long time. That is not surprising, seeing that we have been concerned about the situation for years. What now appears to give it a new twist is the result of a survey carried out on some of the rivers, 25 in total. Predictably, the quality of the water in the rivers has dwindled to a precarious state. Worse is the knowledge that some of these rivers may actually have reached a point where they are no longer capable of nurturing or supporting aquatic life forms in them.

Residents from Shivsorem and Colomba in Rivona are gearing up to oppose an iron ore mining lease, with a public hearing slated for June 18 from 11 am at Rivona V K S S Society, Rivona. Residents have alleged that the mine owner started operating from the mine since September 2007 without obtaining any permission from mining department or Ministry of Environment and Forest. However, Mines department in May stopped the operations.

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.

Operation Godavari Clean-up programme was taken up by Puducherry minister for tourism Malladi Krishna Rao on Sunday. Mr Krishna Rao brought about 500 volunteers of the Yanam Pourula Sankshema Sangam and took up the cleaning. The programme started at 7 am and continued till 5 pm. Volunteers picked up all floating waste material like polythene bags, plastic and other materials from the various Godavari ghats.