A river is considered to be a lifeline and identity of a village. In most of our folktales also, villages are usually situated alongside riverbanks. When civilization began, humans chose to live by the riverbanks. Excavation work done by archaeological departments along riverbanks will most certainly unearth some artifacts of historical significance.
The historical city of Ahmednagar has been fortunate to be situated on the bank of river Sina. But, the city has completely forgotten the existence of this river. The river has lost its identity due to encroachments by realtors, private companies, and brick kiln owners.
The municipality has also contributed in destroying the river by releasing the drainage water in it. Although slogans like ‘Save Sina’ have been raised in the past, the river has yet not got its past glory back. The issue has even reached the National Green Tribunal (NGT), but Sina has not come back to life yet.
The Sina river flows from Sasewadi in Nagar Taluka till Nimgaon, Gangarda in Karjat Taluka in Maharashtra. The water in the dam at Nimgaon is used for domestic purposes as well as farming. Part of the river that flows through Nagar is heavily polluted. However, no corrective measures are being taken by anyone.
Government officials and politicians are neglecting the issue. Vegetables are grown on the river bank and quality of these vegetables is questionable. Animals drink this water too, and the question of how it impacts their health is pertinent. This water is used for farming, and chemical contents are deteriorating the quality of the soil. Despite such serious concerns, no action is being taken.
Zilla Parishad has lodged a complaint about the pollution spreading on the banks of Sina. However, no action has been taken on this complaint. Now, The Art of Living has initiated ‘Sina River Rejuvenation Project,’ along with the citizens, in an effort to restore the lost glory of Sina. This initiative needs to be welcomed, and we need to strengthen it.
Transformation of the crucial river is possible with the help of local representatives. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have initiated the ‘Namami Gange’ project for rejuvenating the Ganges, but what about several other smaller ‘Ganges’ which are the lifelines of local areas?
There are BJP MPs from Ahmednagar constituency, and even the guardian minister belongs to the same party. So, they all should say, ‘Namami Sina.’
Nagar municipality has spent crores of rupees in clearing the hurdles in the way of rejuvenating the Sina river. But in reality, these hurdles have only increased rather than reducing. So if Shiv Sena also wants to save our culture, it should also start by saving the Sina river first.
Source: Lokmat
