Now, catapults to deter people defecating near Yamuna
AGRA: To deter people from defecating along the banks of Yamuna, RiverConnect has launched the ‘Gulel Abhiyan’, whereby violators are being targeted with catapults, with flowers replacing stones.
The idea was implemented soon after a prayer meeting organised at Yamuna view point on Friday. People defecating on the riverbank were targeted with catapults. The beginning was effective, as many of those struck by flowers moved away. However, some continued to resist.
“The campaign will be continued for safeguarding the river,” said Braj Khandelwal, convener of RiverConnect.
“There is a specialised river police force assigned with the task of checking those who pollute Yamuna, but they are nowhere to be seen. The most concerning (of all pollution causing practices) is defecating alongside the river. Most defecators turn up during the morning or the evening,” said Khandelwal, adding that RiverConnect activists gather at Yamuna view point every evening at around 6 pm during winters and 7 pm during summers to perfrom ‘aarti’ of ‘Yamuna maiyya’ (mother Yamuna).
Speaking on the ‘gulel’ campaign, he said, “It is symbolic. The idea is to convey our message without harming the violators. So, we are using flowers. We started on Friday and the result has been encouraging. On Saturday, fewer defecators turned up at the riverbank.”
“We will also raise the demand for building more public toilets to check open defecation. We will also urge government agencies, including the Agra Nagar Nigam, to be more realistic in their approach, instead of proclaiming that 70 wards out of 100 (in Agra) are open defecation free,” said Khandelwal.
“In a similar context, the Supreme Court had ordered to ban bathing of buffaloes in Yamuna to minimise river pollution,” he added.