Water conservationist and Magsaysay Award Winner, Rajendra Singh, who was in Mumbai last week to talk about the Mithi, lists some of the steps that can be taken to revive the river

The sources of the Mithi River

ONTHESPOT - PORUI DASPARA POND

The pond at Porui Daspara, most of which is under a thick cover of water hyacinth, while its edges have become a dumping ground for building materials. Pictures by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya

Lucknow: The Lucknow University students did not shy away from donning an unusually different role on Tuesday. Just a handful of students, 15 of them to be precise, from different departments of the Lucknow University came together to clean the campus. The role was short-lived but the students are more than determined that its impact will certainly last long.

Trickling of leachate - pollutant that seeps through garbage - into the Thane creek from the Mulund dumping ground has become a major cause of concern for fishermen as well as environmentalists. The leachate, say environmentalists, has affected marine life and the day is not far when the ground water table will also be affected by it.

It appears that our understanding of the urban ecosystem in our cities will continue to limit our competence in providing environmentally and ecologically sustainable alternatives for urban habitats. One solution, experts argue, is to go vertical, while improving all the other needed services like roads, water and waste disposal.

As part of integrated solid waste management programme

Photo: M. Periasamy

PROMOTING CLEANLINESS: Mayor R. Venkatachalam (third right) hands over garbage bins to residents at Saibaba Colony in the city on Friday. Corporation Commissioner Anshul Mishra (right) is in the picture.