Visakhapatnam: Waterman' to lead walk to save rivers

Visakhapatnam: Environmentalist and Magsaysay Award winner Rajendra Singh, known as the ‘Waterman of India’, has given a call to the people to participate in the walk along rivers from Amaravati to Bijapur in Karnataka to create awareness on the importance of keeping intact rivers and other water bodies. Dr Singh lamented that about 10,000 acres of land where the new capital city is being constructed were on floodplains. “I will say that this is devastation. The floodplains are best suited for organic agriculture,” he said.

Making a plea to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Dr Singh said: “I have never seen this kind of devastation in the name of development. What else can we expect from the government when the Chief Minister and the IT minister live in houses built on floodplain?” He appealed that the 10,000 acres (32 sq km) of land in the floodplains be taken off from Amaravati development, agriculture lands be restored, rivers be separated from sewers and mining activities be immediately halted along the green zone of rivers.