Ujjain: Reviving Kshipra River has been on the agenda of many organisation. Though their relentless efforts did not culminate into much-desired outcomes on the ground as yet; however, their spirit per se to revitalise it, has galvanised support and united people across every spectrum. Aman Padhiyar, 21-year-old college going student and resident of Susner, was quite peeved at the sight of filth and garbage floating in Kshipra during one of his sojourns here.
This prompted him and his young comrades to take up a solemn pledge to keep it clean and restore it to its erstwhile pristine state. Free Press had a brief chat with these youngsters to bring forth the motive and spirit behind their noble cause. Tell us a bit about your noble work? Well, we are a bunch of college- going youngsters hailing from different towns and cities surrounding Ujjain city such as Ratlam, Nagda among others.
Speaking of our work, our organisation Prayas Yuva Sangthan under which we strive to keep Kshipra River as clean as possible by fishing out and picking up floating and submerged garbage thrown by the devotees and others. Our team comprises 15 dynamic and revolutionary group members with a distinction that all are young and college going students below 21 years of age.
We get together on Sundays as well as on some weekdays also to devote ourselves in the service of Maa Kshipra. What inspired you to take up this cause? Well, I used to go to bank of Kshipra with some of my friends to feed balls of dough to fishes.
There, we would often watch people willingly or unwillingly littering the Kshipra with junk and trash. Isn’t this paradoxical that those who are calling it Maa, are the ones who are brazenly choking it to death in the name of faith. It was very lamentable to see the sorry state of affairs and mistreatment being given to once majestic and glorified river with which Ujjain’s identity is associated.
Further, it was even more disgusting to see the unprecedented apathy of people of Ujjain who seem to be non-chalant and oblivious towards its pathetic state. Nonetheless, we resolved to do our bit to restore its old crowning glory. Consequently, with the consent of the group members, it was concluded that we all would meet up at the banks on Sundays and other days to do the needful.
It was also consented that we would be devoting at least 2 to 3 hours time for clean-up work. Initially, we were only 7-8 members then, by word of mouth and status shared on various social media platforms other like-minded people also came forward and join hands with us. Efforts are on for decades and various organisations have chipped in with their services but clean and fluid Kshipra is still far from reality?
We knew right from the outset that our efforts won’t be suffice to bring about sweeping and overnight changes however what we wanted was to inspire people, rally their support and sensitise Ujjainites about it. If we succeed in sending across this message then it is but obvious that people won’t throw garbage and spoil it. I also believe that Kshipra itself is very pure and sacred; we must not dare to call it that we are purifying it. It is us who are dumping pollutants into it and then we take moral high ground that we are purifying it.
These are certain issues which need to be taken care of. In my view, having a problem is not an issue as long as we have will and zeal to take it to its logical conclusion as problems are bound to crop up as part of evolving nature of any system.
Being outsiders, who do you think will carry forward your work, in case you all complete your studies and move out from here? Well, that’s was worrying for us some time ago. We would also wonder at times after us who will take it forward however in order to fix this, we have started accommodating locals in our team so that in case departure becomes inevitable, our work won’t hamper.
I am glad to share that now we have 4 young members from Ujjain lending their helping hand to us in our initiative and more are in the queue. What shaped up your temper of taking up noble causes? Is there any background before of indulging in such services? Yes! It is a way of life.
We all have some degree of humanity and benevolence hidden in the corner of our hearts. All we need a catalyst to kindle it. I am happy that I have been a part of such endeavours even when I was in my home town. Over there, we would plant trees and fetch water from deep wells for others. Here, we feed stray dogs, treat them and tie radium collars around their necks.
Besides this, we also make arrangements of water for birds and feed fishes as well. Any message for readers? I would like to request all the readers of the Free Press to please join us and co-operate with us in our efforts for nature conservation. If we all wish to take holy dip in Kshipra’s own water by next Simhastha Fair, then we have to revitalise it.
