Pune News: Silent March Unites 600 Citizens and 70 NGOs for River Restoration

The NGOs who participated in the march under the banner of Pune River Revival were Jeevitnadi, Ecological  Society, National Alliance for Peoples Movement, National Society for Clean Cities, Sajag Nagrik Manch, Jalbiradari, Warrior Mom’s, Nisargasevak, Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti, Pune Samvad, Pune District Housing Federation, Fergusson River Club and many more. 

Punekar citizens like Vandanatai Chavan, Mohan Joshi, Aseem Sarode, Shyamala Desai, Sarang Yadwadkar, Vivek Velankar, R J Sangram, Suniti Su Ra, Vinay Ra Ra, Ajay Phatak, Narendra Chugh, Sumant Pande, Ajit Gokhale, Shrikant Gabale, Priti Mastakar, Dhananjay Shedbale, Shailesh Patel, Shripal Lalwani, Anil Velhal, Rekha Joshi, Ameetsingh, Rupesh Kesekar participated in the March. 

On behalf of PRR, Shailaja Deshpande, Prajakta Mahajan, Amitraj Deshmukh, Nishad Sevekari, Rahul Karambslekar, Kalyan Mane, Jaideep Baphna, Sanjeev Naik, Santosh Lalwani were behind the success of the march. 

Shailaja Deshpande from Jeevitnadi said A letter outlining citizens demands will be submitted to the administration after the Silent March. Additionally, a joint flood control meeting will be convened, involving all organizations, NGOs, experts, environmentalists, public representatives, media, and government officials. In this meeting, Pune-based scholars and experts will present measures to reduce the severity of future floods.

Santosh Lalwani from Pune River Revival said Through this march, we want to restore the rightful place of our rivers, tributaries, and streams, ensuring they are safe for both the environment and the citizens.

Prajakta Mahajan said, “This march is a means to voice our concerns to the government and the administration. We urge the administration to implement a legal, scientific, sustainable, and holistic plan that considers the threats posed by environmental changes.”