There is “no water” in the Yamuna river and all we see is waste dumped by the industrial units of Haryana and Delhi, says the Environment and Forests Minister, Mr Jairam Ramesh, who on Monday voiced concern over the pollution in Indian rivers.

“You will not find any water in Yamuna. All filth and waste material from Haryana and Delhi is dumped into the river,” Mr Ramesh said at a function on the occasion of the World Forestry Day here. He said, “We must finish de-greening before we start greening projects.”

The de-greening has been created by industrial construction, the Minister said, adding that the pressure of population and works done in the name of development had damaged forests and rivers in the country.

“This is the biggest challenge we face today. We have to achieve economic growth along with conserving forests and keeping our rivers clean,” he said.

“Our Culture and traditions teach us to preserve our forests and natural resources. The government will succeed in this movement only with cooperation from people,” Mr Ramesh said.

“Women are leading the movement of ‘Save the Forests' and with partnership we will be able to achieve our goal.

Awareness about protecting environment is tremendous today and schools, colleges, and NGOs must work together to conserve our environment,” he said.

A calendar of events for International Year of Forests, 2011 was released on the occasion.

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