E-Paper
Former judges take up Ganga?s cause
RETIRED JUDGES have urged the government to find a permanent solution to the problem of pollution in the Ganga as the river holds great spiritual value for the people. These views were expressed at a Press conference on Tuesday by former Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court Justice Mahesh Narain Shukla, former Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court Justice DS Sinha, former judges of Allahabad High Court Justice Giridhar Malviya, Justice Sakha Ram Singh and Justice RR Yadav.
RETIRED JUDGES have urged the government to find a permanent solution to the problem of pollution in the Ganga as the river holds great spiritual value for the people.
These views were expressed at a Press conference on Tuesday by former Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court Justice Mahesh Narain Shukla, former Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court Justice DS Sinha, former judges of Allahabad High Court Justice Giridhar Malviya, Justice Sakha Ram Singh and Justice RR Yadav.
They said it was lamentable that Ganga water was being used for other purposes, as a result, there was little water in the river at Allahabad, where lakhs of pilgrims from across the country had assembled at the Sangam for a holy dip.
The press conference was organised under the aegis of the Young Lawyers’ Association.
On this occasion, a judge referred to a treaty reached between devotees led by the late Madan Mohan Malviya and erstwhile British rulers in 1916. Under this treaty, it was agreed that the flow of Ganga would not be disturbed.
This treaty was signed following an agitation launched by devotees against proposed construction of a bandh on the Ganga at Haridwar. “It is highly regrettable that present governments are not obeying this treaty,” they said.
They said that despite promulgation of several Acts, the Ganga continued to be polluted every day.
They expressed resentment over the fact that lakhs of devotees from across the country had assembled to take a holy dip in the Ganga at Magh Mela, but the water here was too polluted and too little for bathing.
They also urged the public not to throw any refuse in the Ganga and help in cleansing this river.
They urged different governments to fulfil their constitutional obligations and, while paying respect to the sentiments of public, take effective steps to curb pollution in the river. Among those present at the press conference were YLA president Santosh Kumar Tripathi and the president and the secretary of Allahabad High Court Bar Association CL Pandey and IK Chaturvedi.
