Campaign to preserve Yakshawati river

Badri Dutt kashniyal

Pithoragarh, July 15                                                    A year ar long campaign to preserve   Yakshawati river, revered by Hindus flowing near pithoragarh town will begin on  Harela day, July 16 this year with planting of over 10000 saplings at it’s banks and a citizen campaign to clean it,j Pithoragarh district magistrate Vinod Goswami informed 
“We have taken a meeting of various departments, intellectuals, senior citizens and NGO’s concerning wide-spread celebration of Harela festival in the district and decided that the original phase of the river be stored and it be kept ever clean for uses of fauna dependent on it.”said the DM.
Yakshawati, the river flowing at left flank of district headquarter pithoragarh, is known as oldest source of water of the people reside at it’s both banks.”The river is known as Yakshawati in Manas khand of Skand Puran and venerated as a puranik river in locality.
“The river originates j dense forests of Mad Dhura village near the town and  merges with another puranik river Satmoola near Saini village.”said Mahesh punetha, an intellectual, who is also part of Yakshawati preservation.
“The citizens have decided to hold an yatra from sources of river to Raigad spot to spread awareness to preserve the river from depleting as its water flow has shown symptoms of depressing as several natural springs contributing its water flow have gone dry in last decades due to negligent trends towards it’s preservation.”said Mahesh punetha.
The campaign will also be participated by 130 eco task force of territorial army.
“The people participating in the meeting to initiate preservation campaign of Yakshawati river from Harela day of this year, have also said that the river links the locality with puranik era ,this be preserved in order to preserve ancient phase of pithoragarh district headquarter town.
 Spread in a area of 60 squire kilometres , the district headquarter town of pithoragarh is covered by two rivers in it’s both flanks, while Yakshawati flows at it’s north, the Chandrabhaga river flows it’s right side “we are also mulling to preserve Chandrabhaga river flowing right side of the town as it has converted into a filth due to lack of sanitation and decreasing flow of water caused by drying springs that used to increase it’s water flow once.”said Manoj Matwal, president of Harela society, and NGO that works towards plantation and taking part in preservation campaign of Yakshawati river.