BHOPAL: The ambitious Narmada Seva Yatra spearheaded by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan evoked the participation of BJP national president Amit Shah on Monday.
Both, the BJP national president and Union power minister Piyush Goyal participated in the yatra in Jabalpur on Monday.
The yatra, aimed at galvanising the public for conserving river Narmada, which started on December 11, 2016, will culminate on May 15, 2017, with the participation of PM Narendra Modi.
"Just like our PM Narendra Modi has been working for the cause of the environment with a missionary zeal, MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan too, has been making conservation of Narmada a public movement," said Shah.
He also recounted how Narmada river water was linked to several rivers, including Sabarmati in Gujarat in the past. "You (MP CM) have linked the Narmada river into Kshipra river. Before, this as CM of Gujarat our present PM Narendra Modi linked Narmada river to many rivers in Gujarat, " maintained Shah.
Shah added: "We're hopeful that with a BJP government now in UP also, the combined leadership of the PM and the UP CM will work for purging of river Ganga also."
The days are far when the rivers in our country too will be purged like rivers purged in China, Sweden, London and the US, said Shah.
Earlier, addressing the gathering Chouhan announced that a massive tree plantation drive will be organised on the banks of river Narmada, spanning from river's origin Amarkantak in Anuppur district to Barwani and Alirajpur districts. "Lakhs of people will plant crores of saplings of trees like Neem, Pipal and Banyan on Narmada river on July 2."
He added that the annual agricultural growth rate of MP has been as high as 20% since last four years. "We expect it to be 25% this year," said Chouhan.
He further announced a slew of measures to keep river Narmada clean, spanning from setting up a crematorium to establishing changing rooms for women on Narmada river bank.
Speaking about sand mining in river Narmada, he said that any vehicle now caught mining sand in the river will be confiscated and won't get away merely with payment of the monetary penalty.