A youth on a mission to cleanse Yamuna with Swechha (2)

Concerned about environmental degradation due to massive urbanisation and industrialisation, Vimlendu discovered a subject - Delhi's river Yamuna. He felt sad that the 'lifeline' of Delhi was now ignored by the very people it nurtured.

CJ: Ramesh Kumar Raja

Thu, Jul 30, 2009 11:30:44 IST

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Pollution on Yamuna River :

IN THE first part of 'A youth on a mission to cleanse Yamuna with Swechha', Vimlendu Jha said “Swechha was, is and will be, about raising concerns about the environment. It is a mission to live a better life on the environment front. So, it’ll go on until it has been accomplished. We need everyone's participation and support.” Let us see what our responsible citizen has to say and convey to the youth of the nation.

Q. Did it come into being with a proper strategy or all of a sudden? Share (if) any instances that provoked you and your like-minded partners to come on board to do something outstanding.
VJ: Our journey started in 2000, while most of us were still under graduates brimming with ideas and enthusiasm. Concerned with the pitiable state of the Yamuna in the capital of the world’s largest democracy, we started our first campaign, ‘We for Yamuna’ for creating and spreading awareness about the dying river. In its early days, the campaign persistently lobbied with various stakeholders as a result of which the then chief minister announced a five-day Shramdaan – a voluntary cleanup of the river at eight different locations and publicly acknowledged the work of this movement. Over the years, ‘We for Yamuna’ has become one of the strongest voices in social sector. Today, it is widely recognised by the government, media, United Nations Volunteers program, peer NGOs and people of Delhi and NCR. Now, we’ve come a long way. From staying up nights making paper bags, which were sold in order to raise funds to run the campaign to being trusted partners of various national and international organisations.

Q. Now that it has become a well-known name in the social sector, how do you rate its journey from merely a campaign to a non-profit social welfare organisation?
VJ: It has been a simultaneously exciting and disheartening, challenging and emotional, satisfying and unfulfilled journey. However, we take pride in the fact that we have never digressed from the values and principles that we have stood for; never wavered in our determination to make our society more just and equal and have never let any obstacle dampen our spirits to make a positive difference.

Q. What have been its responses since then to now?
VJ: Response was pretty mixed initially. The government realised what we were saying and within a few months all the bridges over the Yamuna had fencing so that people could not chuck anything in the river (that was ‘We for Yamuna’ advocacy and pressure building efforts) though it’s a separate matter that people now aim and throw. Besides, people did not trust us much, looking at our age and the fact that we were young and buchhas! But, someone has rightly said, If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when? Seeing our performances, people now listen to us more consciously and participate in every possible way.

Q. Which kinds of people are mainly associated with it apart from your personal and professional friends?
VJ: Today, it comprises of professionals, consultants and students from various fields such as social work, management, media and science.

Q. Now the Commonwealth Games Village on the bank of Yamuna is at its last stages of completion despite uproar from different quarters, mainly environmental activists including yourself. So being a protester against this concretisation, what would be your next move or proposal to protect the ecology at the riverbed?
VJ: Commonwealth Games construction is going to be a major setback for the river. The river is anyway gasping for life and further choking of it is adding up to the existing issues. Our next move is to strengthen ‘civil society pressure’ on the government to seek transparency in the Yamuna Action Plan.

Q. How do you look at the issue of DMRC concreting the Yamuna bank with a number of construction works that could lead to irreparable damage to the ecology? Nevertheless, have you made any suggestions to improve the ecology and vegetation there?
VJ: Delhi government and DMRC are only concerned about the Commonwealth Games and Delhi’s infrastructure development and so, in this spree, it is compromising on the natural ecology of the city. Taking cue from this, we have made a number of suggestions through different initiatives and even built pressure. But everything looks like it's been in vain.

Q. Don’t you think it (DMRC construction) has, in return, brought great respite to the lakhs of commuters?
VJ: Yes, Metro is a great thing. But one great thing shouldn’t be at the cost of another great thing. One could have done these vast constructions at some other site.

Q. Any message to make people aware?
VJ: It’s high time we take responsibility for the e river in particular and our environment in general.

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