PIONEER NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun
To make significant strides towards reviving the Rispana river, members of the Dehradun-based student organisation Making a Difference by Eing The Difference (MAD) held a discussion with the mayor Saurabh Thapliyal here on Tuesday. According to the officials, during the meeting, which focused on strategies for cleaning and rejuvenating the river, participants expressed concerns about the increasing environmental threats facing the waterway.
Members of MAD highlighted issues such as encroachment on the riverbanks and the unregulated disposal of waste in the river. They emphasised the need for immediate action, particularly in the sensitive upper catchment area around Shikhar Falls, where the Rispana river originates. Considering this, they also presented several suggestions to the mayor. These suggestions include removing encroachments from the Shikhar Falls area, implementing a security deposit scheme for carrying plastic to Pinnacle Falls and installing nets and dustbins in the upper catchment area, along with ensuring regular cleaning. Additional recommendations include installing CCTV cameras to monitor illegal waste disposal, conducting regular cleanliness drives, enforcing strict waste management regulations and implementing sewage treatment and industrial effluent control measures, among others, they added.
The official further added that the mayor acknowledged the proposals and commended MAD’s efforts. He reiterated his commitment to collaborate with the NGO members for a cleaner Rispana river. Additionally, he expressed his intention to treasure a bottle filled with Rispana river water that was gifted to him by the NGO, and he added that he is looking forward to receiving more water bottles as the cleaning and rejuvenation efforts progress.
