Excerpts from the Interview published in Times of India. Detailed interview can be viewed by clicking the headline above.
Q: How important do you think is the participation of civil society in programmes like cleaning of Yamuna? Can Bhagidari make the task easier for the government by bringing people into a direct confrontation with the problems?
A: We heartily welcome people's participation in movements like river cleaning. The more private associations and NGOs get involved, the better is the impact of such exercises. These movements are an expression of the people's concern for their surroundings. However, we need to have a sustained involvement. All rivers in India are in a similar shape. People have to be taught not to throw things like pooja samagri, rubbish etc into the river. The idea is `It's my river and I must keep it clean'. The bigger task of keeping the water quality good is the government's job.
Q: Where do you think the government slipped in the Yamuna Action Plan (YAP)? Several crores were spent on cleaning the river with absolutely no results.
A: I'll point out one example. Several hundred toilets were constructed by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi under YAP. When I inspected them, I found that some did not have water connections, some were being used as cowsheds and others were located very far from the population. As a consequence, most were not being used at all for the purpose for which they were constructed. It was an utter waste of funds. But MCD is in-charge of sanitation under YAP and I don't know what can be done about it since it is not directly answerable to the government.
Q: How important do you think is the participation of civil society in programmes like cleaning of Yamuna? Can Bhagidari make the task easier for the government by bringing people into a direct confrontation with the problems?
A: We heartily welcome people's participation in movements like river cleaning. The more private associations and NGOs get involved, the better is the impact of such exercises. These movements are an expression of the people's concern for their surroundings. However, we need to have a sustained involvement. All rivers in India are in a similar shape. People have to be taught not to throw things like pooja samagri, rubbish etc into the river. The idea is `It's my river and I must keep it clean'. The bigger task of keeping the water quality good is the government's job.
Q: Where do you think the government slipped in the Yamuna Action Plan (YAP)? Several crores were spent on cleaning the river with absolutely no results.
A: I'll point out one example. Several hundred toilets were constructed by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi under YAP. When I inspected them, I found that some did not have water connections, some were being used as cowsheds and others were located very far from the population. As a consequence, most were not being used at all for the purpose for which they were constructed. It was an utter waste of funds. But MCD is in-charge of sanitation under YAP and I don't know what can be done about it since it is not directly answerable to the government.
PLZ READ THE DETAILED INTERVIEW OF CHIEF MINISTER SHEILA DIKSHIT BY CLICKING THE HEADLINE ABOVE .
With thanks : Source : Times of India
www.RWABhagidari.blogspot.com
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