On a fast for 194 days — over six months — to protect river Ganga from mining and a glut of dams, Swami Atmabodhanand (26) of Matri Sadan Ashram in Haridwar finally broke his fast on Saturday after Rajiv Ranjan Mishra director general of National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) assured him that his demands will be addressed. Atmabodhanand broke his fast in the presence of the ashram's inmates, officials of NMCG and Uttarakhand police.
Swami Shivanand, the senior-most seer of the ashram, said that the assurances of directions to state authorities via Central Pollution Control Board to ensure no illegal mining of Ganga's riverbed happens in Haridwar, came in the backdrop of a meeting that took place on April 25.
Following in the footsteps of Swami Gyan Swarup Sanand aka GD Agarwal, Atmabodhanand — dropping out from an engineering college in Kerala — had begun fasting at the ashram by the banks of river Ganga. Agarwal, 87, had died on October 11 after 111-days of fasting.
Like Agarwal, Atmabodhanand had also demanded that the government "must get its act together: to halt riverbed mining in Ganga at Haridwar, halt construction of Phata-Bhyung, Singoli Bhatwari and Vishnugad Pipalkoti and Lata Tapovan hydropower projects and form a Ganga Bhakti-Parishad.
In his letter, Mishra added said that as far as hydro-electric projects in Uttarakhand are concerned, the issues are under deliberations with all stakeholders. "A decision is expected shortly," Mishra stated. He, however, did not respond to DNA's attempts to get in touch with him.
ACTIVISTS RALLY
Activist Mallika Bhanot of Ganga Avahan questioned the government’s delay in reaching out. “Why did they wait over six months to end his fast? They could have spoken to him earlier.”
