During Mananiya LK Advaniji visit, important discussions took place in the presence of HH Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji – Munijiji, President of Parmarth Niketan (Rishikesh), Founder, Ganga Action Parivar and Global Interfaith WASH Alliance India (GIWA), led by Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswatiji, Secretary General, GIWA, about the many solutions to the pollution and the multi-faceted threats facing our National River Ganga and our planet.
They discussed and lauded the landmark verdict of the Uttarakhand High Court, which ordered that the Ganga River and its major tributaries such as the River Yamuna and Gangotri glacier, be granted rights equal to that of a human being. In so doing, any harm done to these natural resources would be punishable by law to the same extent as harm done onto a person. The discussion led to a pointed conversation about the draft National Ganga Rights Act*, which would be the first Act of Law to fully ensure the rights of the Ganga and all of its tributaries across all states in which they flow.
In a written statement Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji shared, “Some 50 crore people in India depend on the Ganga, yet, downstream from Uttarakhand, Her waters are polluted by 3 billion litres of sewage and a billion litres of toxic chemicals every day. We feel that by enabling the Ganga to nationally secure Her own legal rights to survive and thrive through an historic Act of Law”
*The National Ganga Rights Act was drafted by GAP and the GIWA in consultation with renowned experts, including those who helped to draft the Constitutional chapter for the Constitution of Ecuador, which is the first nation to officially grant rights to nature. The act has been shared and sent to the Government of India.
