Activists remember Environmentalist Manoj Mishra

New Delhi: Environmentalist and Yamuna crusader Manoj Mishra was remembered on his birth anniversary by a group of activists and experts at ITO Ghat. Marking the day as " Yamuna River Day," members of Yamuna Nadi Mitra Mandlis , a group Mishra founded while travelling the river's 1,376 km stretch, and Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan pledged to carry his mission forward. They committed to documenting the river's cultural and ecological heritage, advocating for pollution-free flows, supporting the restoration of catchments, and involving youth through Yamuna Eco-Scholars programs.

Mishra, who passed away in 2023, devoted over 15 years to study and protect the river. He formed local river groups, developed People's River Health Index, and led the landmark Maili se Nirmal Yamuna case in 2015 that safeguarded key floodplain areas in Delhi.

Highlighting the worsening condition of the river, environmentalist Bhim Singh Rawat and others urged Centre and states to ensure minimum environmental flows. They called for a review of proposed dams such as Lakhwar, Renuka, and Kishau, and a halt to mechanised riverbed mining. They demanded protection and restoration of the floodplain and strict enforcement of pollution control norms for industries and treatment plants.