Sat Nov 09 17:30:20 UTC 2024: ## “Nirmala Tungabhadra Abhiyana” March Raises Awareness on Water Pollution in Karnataka
**Shivamogga, Karnataka, November 9, 2024:** The “Nirmala Tungabhadra Abhiyana”, a 10-day awareness march focusing on water pollution, has been drawing significant participation as it travels across Karnataka. The march, organized jointly by the Paryavarana Trust in Shivamogga and Rashtriya Swabhiman Andolana of New Delhi, began on November 6 in Sringeri and aims to cover over 400 kilometers.
On Saturday, the march reached the villages of Tirthahalli taluk, with participants engaging in discussions with local residents. The group, comprising environmentalists, retired employees, writers, professors, students, and even an 8-year-old, has been receiving an enthusiastic response from the public.
The march aims to raise awareness about the dangers of untreated sewage and other waste polluting the Tungabhadra river. Volunteers are collecting data on pollution sources in each village and will submit a report to the government and the public after the march.
“We need to be aware of the problems that polluted rivers cause,” said Sripathi of the Nirmala Tungabhadra Abhiyana committee. “We are taking out the march to spread awareness among the public and also put pressure on the State government to take up measures necessary to avoid pollution of rivers.”
The campaign has received strong support, with the Sharada Peetha seer pledging land for a sewage treatment plant in Sringeri to prevent pollution of the Tunga river. Prof. B.M. Kumaraswamy, head of the Paryavaran Trust, expressed optimism about the impact of the march, saying, “We are motivated by the people’s response. Many are voluntarily joining us for the march.”
The march is expected to continue until November 14, reaching Harihar in Davangere. It will then move on to Kishkinda in Koppal district, further raising awareness about the urgent need to protect the Tungabhadra river from pollution.
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