The Hindu : New Delhi News : Marching orders for Yamuna nurseries

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Nov 01, 2007
ePaper

New Delhi

New Delhi

Marching orders for Yamuna nurseries

Staff Reporter

Govt. wants the floodplains for Games Village

Decision will hit several families: Yamuna satyagrahis
Govt.’s decision puzzling: Waterman Rajinder Singh

NEW DELHI: After farmers, it is the nursery owners on the Yamuna floodplains in the Capital who have been given the marching orders now by the Delhi Government. Seeking removal of these nurseries from the floodplains, which are being used for construction of the Commonwealth Games Village, the Public Works Department this past Monday issued eviction notices to the owners.

“On October 29, the nurseries adjacent to National Highway-24 received warning letters from the PWD asking them to evacuate within a period of 10 days or else they would be forcibly removed. The land originally belonged to villagers of nearby areas and farmers have been running nurseries here to supply saplings across the city,” said “Waterman” Rajinder Singh of Yamuna Satyagraha.

Pointing out that the fertile soil of the Yamuna floodplains is “unmatched for the purpose of cultivation”, the Yamuna satyagrahis said the decision would hit several families that are dependent on the nurseries for their sustenance. “The farmers are shocked and puzzled at this sudden Government decision. There is no plan to widen National Highway-24, then where is the need to remove the nurseries?” asked Mr. Singh.

Rohtas Bhatti, one of the owners of the nurseries where the Yamuna satyagrahis are being hosted, said the decision to remove them is “in retaliation to their support to the satyagraha”.

“This step taken by the Government shows that it is alarmed by the momentum gained by the satyagraha. We on the other hand have been emboldened by this challenge posed by the Govt. Come what may, we will not leave this site,” Mr. Singh asserted.

Workers of the Jal Biradari, who had gathered for a conclave which ended on Wednesday, have declared that the Yamuna Satyagraha is a symbol of struggle to save all the rivers of this country and the satyagraha needs to spread countrywide.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail