Saints and gurus taking part in the Ganga Mata Mahayajna at Sapt Rishi here today demanded the Ganga free of dams.
The seers demanded prohibition on dams and mega hydropower projects on the sacred Ganga and its main sub-tributaries such as the Bhagirathi and the Alaknanda. They said the sanctity and purity of the sacred river was getting affected due to the construction of dams.
Former Shankaracharya Swami Satyamitranand Giri Maharaj called for a ban on construction of dams on the Ganga as these hindered the natural flow of the river.
Shankaracharya said Ganga is the salvation provider as it provided livelihood to millions of people and even the identity of India was linked with the deity Ganga.
“It is the responsibility and duty of all of us to ensure that the sanctity and purity of the sacred Ganga is retained by not polluting it. We also need to ensure that its natural flow is conserved as Ganga water is unique among all the river waters across the globe due to its mineral and clean content,” Satyamitranand Giri Maharaj added.
Spiritual ideologue of Gayatri Teerth Shantikunj Dr Pranav Pandya also raised his voice for the maintenance of purity of the Ganga. He stressed on the need of mass awareness and sensitisation for the same.
Lal Mata temple spiritual guru Bhakt Durga Das, Sadbhavna temple guru Acharya Parsmani, Maha Mandaleshwar Swami Avdeshanand Giri Maharaj, Mahant Lalitanand Giri, Shadani Durbar manager Amar Sadani, along with a large number of saints, are taking part in the Ganga Mata Mahayajna.