We also hope that we will be able to find correspondents who will do some investigation, interviews, opinion pieces and color and human interest stories. Obviously, Western devotees are a little more internet savvy than Indians, even though there are hundreds and hundreds of Indian-language blogs, which I am also scouring for relevant material. Such relevant material, up to now, seems primarily related to the environment, and environmental issues are predominantly related to the state of the rivers and the ever decreasing water tables.
In today's papers, for instance, there are two stories of particular interest.
One is related to an event yesterday organized by the "Free the Yamuna from Pollution Movement" based in the Krishna Janmasthan.All the managers and workers of the Janma Sthan gathered and went to the Yamuna shores where they engaged in a far reaching effort to clean up. Seeing the enthusiasm of the workers, many of the people there bathing, whether residents of Mathura or pilgrims from afar, joined in the seva. The air filled with the sounds of “Yamuna Maiya ki jaya!”
On completion of the work, Gopeshwar Nath Chaturvedi, a Hindu nationalist leader, said that their intention is to clean all the Mathura bathing ghats before Ganga Dassehra on June 21. Apparently, they have been doing this annually for several years. Since more people are volunteering this year, they will complete the work as far as Bengali Ghat.
The problem is that because of the Gokula Barrage, silt is accumulating in the river and on the ghats, causing great difficulty to bathers. The Pollution Control Department took an active role in the cleanup, and financial assistance also came from the business and industrial sectors. They engaged 50 workers.
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We just posted an article recently about Rajendra Singh, who was awarded the Magsaysay prize for Community Leadership in 2001 for his work in combating desertification through rainwater capture. Certainly one of the big concerns that recurs regularly in the Braj news sections is that of depleted ground water.
We just posted an article recently about Rajendra Singh, who was awarded the Magsaysay prize for Community Leadership in 2001 for his work in combating desertification through rainwater capture. Certainly one of the big concerns that recurs regularly in the Braj news sections is that of depleted ground water.
In a plan that sounds similar to the kinds of things that Singh has done, Whether the work announced by the a five year plan of dyke construction in the Braj area covering 59,000 hectares at a cost of Rs 68.3 crores. 30% of the work will be done in the first year.
The program is being run by the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
Since so much water is being pumped out of the ground for irrigation and other uses, the water table is constantly descending. In an attempt to keep water levels constant, the Soil Conservation Department has prepared a plan to separate irrigation water from domestic use. In Mathura district, the Nauhajhil, Chata, Mathura, Raya, Mant and Baldev blocks are participating in this scheme.
In the terms of the Soil Conservation Department, Nauhajhil block was called a “dark block.” In Baldev the water table is at 300 ft., and other blocks are comparable.
It would appear that the MGREGS is taking active interest in water restoration. Dykes will vary in height from according to Ashok Kumar Tewatia, director of the Soil Conservation Dept., from 1 ½ to 2 feet, and others will be 2 ½ feet or more.
Higher embankments of 2 meters will also be built around terrain that is subject to erosion. Survey work has begun and work will be begun after the next rainy season. Money is being allocated for the project.
Since so much water is being pumped out of the ground for irrigation and other uses, the water table is constantly descending. In an attempt to keep water levels constant, the Soil Conservation Department has prepared a plan to separate irrigation water from domestic use. In Mathura district, the Nauhajhil, Chata, Mathura, Raya, Mant and Baldev blocks are participating in this scheme.
In the terms of the Soil Conservation Department, Nauhajhil block was called a “dark block.” In Baldev the water table is at 300 ft., and other blocks are comparable.
It would appear that the MGREGS is taking active interest in water restoration. Dykes will vary in height from according to Ashok Kumar Tewatia, director of the Soil Conservation Dept., from 1 ½ to 2 feet, and others will be 2 ½ feet or more.
Higher embankments of 2 meters will also be built around terrain that is subject to erosion. Survey work has begun and work will be begun after the next rainy season. Money is being allocated for the project.
Other than this, it was a pretty slow news day from the internet sources. The big social event yesterday in Mathura, which attracted most of the local bigwigs was a celebration of Hindi Journalism Day at the Press Club. Many people gave speeches about the importance of journalism.
In human interest, the two stories that had buzz were the rescue of a 14-year-old Bengali girl that had been brought by a riksha-wallah from Murshidabad to be sold for the sum of Rs 20,000. A whistle-blower reported that the sale of the girl into white-slavery was about to take place and prompt police intervention put a stop to it.
Another dowry murder was also reported in the Vrindavan area.
No temple events reported. I suspect that not everything gets into the online edition. I am hoping that we will be able to interest Goswamis, Acharyas, Sevayats, Kathavyasas, Pathakas, Kirtaniyas, Lilamandalis and others to report their events both before and after they take place. We will eventually post a global calendar including all Vrindavan sampradayas.
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