Sadhu dies fasting to save Ganga, Jairam blames Uttarakhand govt
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Swami Nigamanand, who was on fast for nearly four months demanding immediate stopping of quarrying in Ganga and shifting of Himalaya stone crusher from Kumbh mela area, died on Monday.
NEW DELHI/DEHRADUN: Union environment minister Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday blamed the Uttarakhand government for the death of the seer of Haridwar-based Matri Sadan Ashram, Swami Nigamanand, who was on fast for nearly four months against quarrying in river Ganga. The minister also warned the mining mafia of strict action.
After battling for his life for 42 days at the ICU in Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences (HIMS), Dehradun, the 35-year-old crusader for 'Save Ganga', Swami Nigamanand, died on Monday afternoon at 2.30 pm. The Swami was allegedly poisoned at a Haridwar district hospital by a section of land mafia for daring to oppose their activities.
Responding to the media queries about the Swami's death, Jairam Ramesh said he had sent a letter to Uttarakhand chief minister Ramesh Pokhriyal on January 6 last year, asking him to take steps to end illegal sand mining in the stretches of River Ganga at Haridwar. "I have spoken to the chief minister on a number of occasions that illegal mining is rampant in Uttarakhand... That illegal mining enjoys political patronage in the highest levels. Unfortunately, no action was coming from the state government over the last 15 or 16 months," he said.
"In view of the fact that the state government has demonstrated a continued reluctance to take action against illegal mining, I think, we will have no option but to invoke Section 5 of the Environment Protection Act and take action on our own." the minister warned.
Illegal stone quarrying and mining are rampant along the 80km Ganga stretch from Munni-Ki-Reti to Rishikesh in Tehri district and further to Laksar town in Haridwar.
The Save Ganga crusader, a seer at Haridwar's Matri Sadan Ashram, had been on a fast-unto-death since February 19. On April 27, officials shifted him to Haridwar district hospital as his condition deteriorated. But he refused to touch food. Nigamanand slipped into a coma on May 2. He was then rushed to HIMS where he was put on life support system.
Dr Vijay Verma, a close aide of Swami Nigamanand and president of Haridwar Citizen Council, alleged Swami Nigamanand suffered a heart attack at Haridwar district hospital after being injected poison by hospital staff, who worked in collusion with the land mafia.
On May 15, a Matri Sadan's functionary, Brahamchari Dayanand, lodged an FIR at Haridwar Kotwali naming a member of a stone-crusher association and a senior doctor for poisoning the Swami. Matri Sadan Ashram has accused the local police of succumbing to the pressure of mining lobby and dragging its feet to arrest those named in FIR. In view of these accusations, Haridwar district magistrate R Meenakshi Sundaram has said that an autopsy of the Swami would be conducted.
The Uttarakhand government had on December 10, 2010 banned quarrying and stone-crushing along the Ganga as the entire region is eco-sensitive. However, the association of stone-crushers in Haridwar managed to get a stay on the government order. On May 27, a two judge bench of the Uttarakhand HC vacated the stay on a special leave petition filed before it by Matri Sadan. (With PTI inputs)
After battling for his life for 42 days at the ICU in Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences (HIMS), Dehradun, the 35-year-old crusader for 'Save Ganga', Swami Nigamanand, died on Monday afternoon at 2.30 pm. The Swami was allegedly poisoned at a Haridwar district hospital by a section of land mafia for daring to oppose their activities.
Responding to the media queries about the Swami's death, Jairam Ramesh said he had sent a letter to Uttarakhand chief minister Ramesh Pokhriyal on January 6 last year, asking him to take steps to end illegal sand mining in the stretches of River Ganga at Haridwar. "I have spoken to the chief minister on a number of occasions that illegal mining is rampant in Uttarakhand... That illegal mining enjoys political patronage in the highest levels. Unfortunately, no action was coming from the state government over the last 15 or 16 months," he said.
"In view of the fact that the state government has demonstrated a continued reluctance to take action against illegal mining, I think, we will have no option but to invoke Section 5 of the Environment Protection Act and take action on our own." the minister warned.
Illegal stone quarrying and mining are rampant along the 80km Ganga stretch from Munni-Ki-Reti to Rishikesh in Tehri district and further to Laksar town in Haridwar.
The Save Ganga crusader, a seer at Haridwar's Matri Sadan Ashram, had been on a fast-unto-death since February 19. On April 27, officials shifted him to Haridwar district hospital as his condition deteriorated. But he refused to touch food. Nigamanand slipped into a coma on May 2. He was then rushed to HIMS where he was put on life support system.
Dr Vijay Verma, a close aide of Swami Nigamanand and president of Haridwar Citizen Council, alleged Swami Nigamanand suffered a heart attack at Haridwar district hospital after being injected poison by hospital staff, who worked in collusion with the land mafia.
On May 15, a Matri Sadan's functionary, Brahamchari Dayanand, lodged an FIR at Haridwar Kotwali naming a member of a stone-crusher association and a senior doctor for poisoning the Swami. Matri Sadan Ashram has accused the local police of succumbing to the pressure of mining lobby and dragging its feet to arrest those named in FIR. In view of these accusations, Haridwar district magistrate R Meenakshi Sundaram has said that an autopsy of the Swami would be conducted.
The Uttarakhand government had on December 10, 2010 banned quarrying and stone-crushing along the Ganga as the entire region is eco-sensitive. However, the association of stone-crushers in Haridwar managed to get a stay on the government order. On May 27, a two judge bench of the Uttarakhand HC vacated the stay on a special leave petition filed before it by Matri Sadan. (With PTI inputs)
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