Activists allege conspiracy behind Ganga activist G D Agarwal's death

Activists alleged a conspiracy behind the death of Ganga activist G D Agarwal and demanded the cancellation of hydroelectric projects on Ganga river and its tributaries.

Conservationist Rajendra Singh said people have to come together to save Ganga and said the fundamental issue of uninterrupted free flow of river (Aviral Dhara) was being continuously neglected.

"The name of Swamiji's killer is Narendra Modi. If he wanted to save him, he would have come and told him, 'We are with you'," Singh told reporters.

"He (PM Modi) had said four years ago, 'I am Ganga's son and I do not have to take anything from it now but only give back to the river'. By saying all this, he won all the Lok Sabha seats on the banks of Ganga," he said.

A day before Agarwal died, Water Resources and Ganga River Rejuvenation Minister Nitin Gadkari had said almost all demands of Agarwal had been met and he had written a letter to the activist to give up his fast.

The Centre had come out with a gazette notification stating the minimum environmental flow that is to be maintained at various locations on the Ganga.

Gadkari had said draft legislation on protecting the Ganga had also been sent to the Cabinet for approval.

Singh said Aggarwal had demanded the constitution of a Bhakt Parishad, comprising people who understood the science and the spiritualism connected to the river.

In a press conference, Swami Dayanand of Matri Sadan Ashram, Haridwar, alleged there was a conspiracy from the top behind the death of Aggarwal and said even an FIR was not registered despite them submitting complaints to the concerned and even to SSP Dehradun.

"Swamiji was wrongfully taken on October 10 to a hospital when he was fine. After his death, we gave a complaint to the concerned police station on October 15 but no action was taken," he claimed.

"...We will approach the courts now," he said.

Dayanand said Swamiji wanted that construction of new projects on the six streams of Ganga-Bhagirathi, Alaknanda, Mandakini, Nandakini, Dhauliganga and Pindar be immediately stopped and steps taken to protect "Gangatva of Ganga".

Other speakers also called for an immediate ban on construction of hydropower projects on Ganga and her tributaries in Himalayas and a ban on mining that had not been taken up by government till date.

"On one hand government is trying to bring Ganga Act in Parliament and on other hand, the very existence of the river, right at its source, is threatened. What type of rejuvenation is this," asked one of the speakers.

The speakers alleged that on the pretext of cleaning Ganga, huge funds were being sanctioned and released but crores of money was also being spent right at the river's source to dam it and disrupt its free flow, apart from deforestation.

The veteran environmental activist had died of a heart attack at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Uttarakhand's Rishikesh, on October 11, 111 days after he began a fast for a pollution-free Ganga.

He was 86. He was on a hunger strike since June 22 demanding government measures to save the river.