Green issues to be discussed during Maha Kumbh

"During Kumbh Mela, a special two day meeting will be held from January 18 in which detailed discussions will be held on purity of river Ganga and environmental imbalance," head of Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh, Swami Chidanand Saraswati said.

After the deliberations, an environmental declaration would be issued which would give a message to the world to check environmental imbalance.

"The meeting will be attended by chief ministers of five states from where Ganga passes, including Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal," Swami Chidanand said.

Besides chairman of local bodies concerned, local administrative officers and environmentalist R K Pachauri would attend the meet. UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav would lead the meeting, he said.

"Media from all over the world will gather during Mahakumbh and Akhilesh Yadav will not get a better opportunity than this," he said.

Swami Chidanand appealed to the state government and Kumbh Mela administration to make the event polythene-free.

"An effort should be made to give a message of green kumbh during the largest gathering of people in the world," he said.

He also said that a problem was being faced by saints and Sankaracharyas in getting space at the mela site this time due to change in the course of Ganga.

"This has reduced the land available on riverside. Therefore, satisfying everyone will not be easy for the government," he said.

He, however, demanded that the government make lodging facilities at the mela site for the saints at the earliest so that problem are not faced by anyone.

Regarding Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh's statement regarding fake Shankaracharyas, Swami Chidanand said leaders have no right to tag them as fake.

"The saints don't need a certificate from such people," he said.

Digvijay had on Wednesday last alleged that the place reserved for Shankaracharya in Maha Kumbh Mela in Allahabad has been given to a "fake" Shankaracharya supported by BJP and sought the intervention of the Chief Minister in this regard.

Swami Chidanand said Shankaracharyas of all four peeths should sit together, form a consensus on the issue and inform the administration about it to clear any misunderstanding.