Narmadapuram (Madhya Pradesh): Head of Narmada Bachao Andolan, Medha Patkar, has said her organisation will send a proposal for making laws to protect rivers.
According to her, any development work has two sides – good effects and bad effects. Patkar made the statement at a two-day national conference in Bandrabhan.
The conference was held to discuss how to coordinate the agitation associated with protecting nature.
When water was supplied to Kutch, it was given to Adani port, but canals were not constructed to provide water to farmers, she said.
According to Patkar, saving protecting rivers has become a major challenge. She appealed to the government to protect the national resources under section 48 of the Indian Constitution.
Although only 13% or 15% of land is irrigated in various states, but the governments provide inflated statistics regarding irrigation, she said.
Not only rivers, forests are also being destroyed by changing the laws, she said.
According to her, there should be an ecological audit of all the rivers, and if the government does not do it, people will do it. Her organisation will take the help of retired judges so that every river is audited, Patkar said.
