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The state of our rivers First CSE media briefing workshop on rivers, river pollution and cleaning strategies India Habitat Centre New Delhi, June 14-15, 2007 Rivers in India are revered, yet severely polluted. They nurture cities and civilizations, but end up receiving the waste and filth generated by them. The country has spent Rs 2,310 crore on cleaning its rivers. However, this money has gone down the drain as the state of most of these rivers has worsened. The Yamuna, one of the most polluted rivers in India, represents the sorry state of our water bodies. Delhi is its biggest polluter, followed by Agra, Ghaziabad and Faridabad. After spending about Rs 1,500 crore on cleaning it, the river today is in a worse condition than a sewage drain. Pollution levels in the Yamuna have risen. Its biological oxygen demand (BOD) load increased 2.5 times between 1980-2005. Dissolved oxygen (DO) levels in the upper segments, considered pristine, are now dipping -- indicating an increase in organic pollution. By the time the Yamuna flows midway through Delhi, the total coliform count goes off the charts. The fact that this is the state of most of India’s rivers indicates that there is something fundamentally wrong in the way the country is managing its river cleaning programmes. Keeping this in mind, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi, invites you to a two-day media briefing workshop to understand the condition of our rivers and the levels of pollution they face, to examine existing river cleaning programmes, and discuss strategies that could give our rivers a new lease of life. The Yamuna river will be taken as a representative case. The workshop will bring together river pollution experts, civil society representatives and government officials to debate and demystify key issues. Eligibility: - The workshop is only open to journalists and media professionals - Seats are limited. We have the resources to support the travel and accommodation of a few candidates on a first-come, first-served basis. Therefore, please apply immediately Last date for applying: Friday, June 1, 2007  Press releaseView the photogallery
For more information on river cleaning strategies , check out CSE's latest resources:  Book » Sewage Canal: How to Clean the Yamuna Film » Faecal Attraction: Political Economy of Defecation |
