Badrinath seer to hold meeting in Delhi on June 18 on Ganga

HARIDWAR, June 12:
Seers from across the country are expected to attend a public meeting in New Delhi on June 18 on the issue of conservation the of river Ganga and maintaining the uninterrupted flow of its water, Badrinathpeeth Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand said today.
The meeting would be held at Jantar Mantar in Delhi under the banner of Ganga Mukti Sangram after performing “Jalabhishek” at Rajghat on June 18, Shankaracharya told reporters here.
Calling for setting up a separate ministry under the Prime Minister for the conservation of Ganga, Shankaracharya said there should be a round-the-clock monitoring system in place for the national river.
He said he has also sent a six-point charter of demands to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi over the issue.
Besides, he said, he has also launched consultations with top seers of the country on the issue. Shankaracharya of Kanchi Kamkotipeeth Jayendra Saraswati had also met Swami Swaroopanand in his ashram here yesterday.
Asked about Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna’s request to saints not to press for stopping construction of hydel projects on Ganga, Swami Swaroopanand said he would not change his stand on the issue as the conservation of Ganga and uninterrupted flow of its water can never be compromised.
Earlier, talking to reporters separately, Jayendra Saraswati also announced his full support to the mission of Swami Swaroopanand for the conservation of Ganga. “My full support is with Swami Swaroopanand,” Jayendra Saraswati said.
He said though he would not be able to make it to Jantar Mantar on June 18 due to preoccupations, his full support is with the demands of Swaroopanand Saraswati.
Jayendra Saraswati said construction of hydel projects on river Ganga should be stopped completely and instead sea water should be used for power generation. (PTI)