VISAKHAPATNAM: Rajendra Singh, waterman of India, said on Tuesday that he will join the Save Godavari Campaign as the lifeline of South India is under threat due to alleged illegal excavation and unauthorised development activity at Brahmagiri, origin of Godavari near Trimbakeshwar, in Maharashtra.He demanded that Brahmagiri mountain should be declared an eco-sensitive zone.
Addressing a virtual meeting, Rajendra Singh said they will adopt a three-pronged strategy, including filing a PIL in the court, to stop encroachment and excavation at Brahmagiri.He said he will visit Brahmagiri after improvement in the prevailing Covid-19 situation.The waterman said the ecosystem of River Godavari, on which six states, including Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, are dependent, should be maintained.
Environmentalist Rajesh Pandit said Brahmagiri has to be protected and the construction activity as the excavation will impact the ecology of the area.Jal Biradari national convener Bolisetti Satyanaryana said excavation at the mountain was violation of the Constitution of India.