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YOUTH FOR YAMUNA By : Kapil Mishra YOUTH FOR JUSTICE
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Page 1: YOUTH FOR YAMUNA- a YFJ initiative

YOUTH FOR YAMUNA

By : Kapil MishraYOUTH FOR JUSTICE

Page 2: YOUTH FOR YAMUNA- a YFJ initiative

Who are we? “Youth for Justice” is a Delhi based action group, which works on spontaneous issues that need cognisance

How did we start?As a youth group, we rose against the unfair judicial pronouncement favouring the rich and the powerful by mobilising concerned citizens and making the invisible disquiet a visible one. (The Jessica Lal verdict)Our success in the above-mentioned issue furthered our involvement by our opining on the issue of farmer suicides in various parts of India, Realising the importance of accountability, we used the Right to Information Act as a tool to make the government more accountable to its citizens.

NOW OUR CONSTANT QUEST FOR ACCOUNTABILITY REQUIRES THAT WE SEEK ANSWERS ON THE ISSUE OF ENCROACHMENT ON YAMUNA RIVERBED IN THE CAPITAL CITY OF INDIA.

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REAL ISSUES REAL ACTIONS!!!

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YAMUNA: our caseState of River mirrors state of Society. Today Because of Encroachment, Exploitation and Pollution the river Yamuna is on the verge of extinction.

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YAMUNA: our case

•Yamuna river is the life line of Delhi.

•Around 70% of the water needs of this city are met by the river Yamuna. •When there is a problem and there is no regular water supply, the tankers of Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and private suppliers bring water to you and to your colony, after extracting ground water from the river bed / flood plain of the river.

•When there are floods (1977, 1978, 1988, 1995), it is the river bed / flood plain (Yamuna Khadar) that saves you from the dangers associated with the floods by retaining the flood water within the river bed / flood plain. •When there are no floods, the local farmers produce food grains, vegetables, fruits and flowers in the river bed / flood plain and supply the same to you to meet your needs.

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Today our river is in ‘trouble’. Tomorrow we will be in ‘trouble’.

Can we afford remain a silent spectator to the damage being caused

to the river and the river bed / flood plain?

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Yamuna: Our Case

1.The 22 km stretch of river in Delhi is perhaps the most threatened river stretch any where in the world (P. Kumar, IEG, Delhi)

2.It is the most polluted river stretch in the whole country today (CPCB)

3. The river bed is so badly silted up and encroached upon that you do not need 1978 level flood waters to suffer the same or worst devastation in the city any more. (Less will do). (NEERI, 2005)

4. Delhi is facing acute water crisis and if things keep moving in same direction, soon Delhi will be a water stressed city.

RIVERS IN INDIA•No policy (a new draft policy has dangerous portents)•No legal protection•River Regulation Zone (RRZ) draft with MOEF since 2002

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Our Stand on the Issue: Right to Safe drinking waterAs a welfare state and democracy the Indian constitution guarantees the fundamental right of every citizen to survive and with the entitlement of the dignity that should ensue with it. Making such tall claims it is indeed deplorable that we can not even provide water security to the people in the capital city. Fundamental duty of state Indian Constitution (Article 48A) The State shall endeavour to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wild life of the country. Supreme Court of IndiaThe state as a trustee is under a legal duty to protect the natural resources. Under the doctrine of "Precautionary Principle": The State Government and the statutory authorities - must anticipate, prevent and attack the causes of environmental degradation. Delhi High CourtNo encroachment either in the form of jhuggi jhopri clusters or in any other manner by any person or organisation shall be permitted. Yamuna has to be re-developed in such a manner that it becomes the habitat for trees, forests and centre for recreation. We are making it clear that no structure whether it pertains to religious, residential or commercial or any other purpose shall be allowed to exist n the river bed.

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Our Approach and StrategyWe aspire to:Create a social movement involving all stakeholders and the common masses. We seek guidance, partnership and support in furthering our cause by fixing Transparency and Accountability of the State machinery.

We are working at these levels:1.Ensuring participation of youth at policy making level2.Working through online network and a force action heroes (ground volunteers) on the issues3.Research and Publication 4.Community mobilization through direct intervention at grass root level5.Networking with like minded and like hearted individuals and organizations6.Creating pressure on authorities responsible for the action.

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YFJ initiatives for YAMUNA

1.Organized a series of candle light vigils at various places across the city.

1.Organized a series of protest marches including one “Reverse March” at Jantar Mantar 3. Initiated “Youth for Yamuna”- a YFJ initiative against loot and killing of river Yamuna in the name of development by encroaching upon the riverbed

4. Participated and mobilized young students and professionals for Yamuna Satyagraha

5. Organized a series of discussions both online and in the campus and at open spaces like Central Park etc. on the issue to make people aware of the issue

6. Organized non violent protest in front of Vigyan Bhavan on occasion of National Ground Water Conference and several of our volunteers got detained in the process

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YFJ Initiatives for YAMUNA

7. Raised the voice for Yamuna inside Delhi assembly and thus forcing the Govt. to come out with clarification and later with the moratorium by LG of Delhi on any further encroachment on river bed

8. Organized a Ten Day Bike Rally along the banks of river Yamuna from Delhi to Agra taking the message of Satyagraha to the people at large

9. Prepared ,published and performed Three songs for the river, one street play and one Yamuna Aarti to convey the message to the masses

10. Organized a series of presentations with college students, professionals and

RWAs on the issue 11. Initiated YFJ chapters and support groups in various metropolitan cities with aim

to create a strong youth force demanding protection and conservation of rivers for a common future that is water secured

12. Presently Developing a fact sheet on the issue and designing an action campaign

for the year.

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Tools and Techniques Adopted

1.Research and fact collection through secondary data study, RTIs, discussions with experts and experienced Individuals

2. Membership Network building through online and on ground campaigns

3. Use of various media like street songs, street plays on one hand and Internet especially Orkut, Facebook, YouTube, and blog to strengthen our network and to reach to common masses as well as the authorities.

4. Use of various available platforms e.g. Citizen Journalist to reach to the target audience and to create awareness

5. Use of focused on ground events like discussions, vigils, marches and Bike Rally

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Tools and Techniques adopted

6. Networking with Like minded and like hearted individuals and organizations

7. Satyagraha

8. Advocacy

9. Use of Media centered events and thus using electronic and print media to create pressure on authorities and make people aware about the cause

10. Creativity and Innovation

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Impact

1.Moratorium on further encroachment and “development” on river bed by LG

1.DDA came out with “O” Zone development plan declaring river bed as green zone and banning any concrete structure on river bed in future

1.In last Assembly Elections both major political parties in the city have included Yamuna in their Political manifestos for the first time

1.Yamuna becoming a major issue of concern as various electronic media channels coming out with focused series on yamuna e.g. Aaj Tak and NDTV

1.Yamuna is now a issue of day to day discussion among people of Delhi and people are now able to identify the relation between city’s water security and river

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Future Actions:

•Yamuna watch - people adopting the river and keeping an eye on Authority and others

•Bike Rally- 2nd Bike Rally along the river bank will be organized on the occasion of World Environment Day

•Janmashtami Mahotsav and Yamuna Aarti on Yamuna bank

•Developing a nationwide youth network for the protection and conservation of water resources in general and rivers in particular

•More stress on Research and Publication

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Replicability

YFJ has been able to mobilize Young students and professionals using an unique amalgamation of street media and internet after developing knowledge through research and use of tools like RTI etc. and building network with organizations and individuals sharing the similar concerns and thus creating pressure on authorities to fix transparency and accountability through a well planned and strategized series of events.

This model is easily replicable .

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I

“we are the change we want to see”

THANKS!!!