Bijnor(UP) | Jun 23, 2015: BKU protest against river pollution, illegal mining The Bhartiya Kisan Union on Tuesday protested against river pollution and illegal mining at the Bijnor collectorate. They also handed over a memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister to the district magistrate.

BKU national general secretary Vijay Singh said, "We've written to PM Narendra Modi and demanded that immediate steps should be taken to purify major rivers of the country such as Ganga and Yamuna. We also asked Modi to stop large-scale deforestation and put an end to illegal mining. The new power rates introduced by the Uttar Pradesh government are draconian and should be rolled back immediately. We demand that rural areas in the state be provided with at least 20 hours of electricity. The government should be sensitive towards the economic condition of farmers. All debts of farmers should be waived off immediately. Farming should be given the status of an industry."

"The country's rivers are dying and farmers are being forced to take their own lives. Despite the fact that India is a farmer-centric nation, the condition of farmers is deplorable. They are caught up in the vicious cycle of debt. Farmers above 70 years of age should be given a monthly pension of Rs 5,000. Land should not be acquired without getting approval of 70-80% villagers. There should be a law to protect farms from wild animals as well. Waste from all sewers flows into these rivers. The government should address the issue immediately," he added.

(Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/)