Udaipur - At a programme organised to celebrate World Rivers Day on September 22, 2024, participants at the event said that to dismiss a river as a mere nine-meter water body is not acceptable.

During the discussion, lake conservation expert Dr Anil Mehta, who has been working for the protection and conservation of lakes and water resources for years now, said that preserving vital waterways has become crucial. Cutting down hills and filling up small ponds also pose a serious threat to the river's existence.

The discussion panel said that a river exists only because of its sound but, unfortunately, canals and concrete surfaces are swallowing up the essence of the river.

Also present on the occasion was the former Lake Development Authority member Tej Shankar Paliwal who stressed on preservation of water channels in the city.

Discussion also veered to the Ayad river beautification project and it was said that to spread cement and concrete on the river bed in the name of beautification would only be harmful in the long run.

A UT report carried on August 28, 2024, brought to light the damage suffered by the 72-crore Smart City Ayad River project. This was due to the direct discharge of sewage into the river after the Rajasthan Urban Infrastructure Development Project (RUIDP) broke open sewer manholes. Dr Mehta was part of the team which carried out an inspection of the project and he had said that the river cannot stay clean and beautiful if it is going to be contaminated by the sewer system.

World Rivers Day is observed every year on the fourth Sunday of September and the goal behind it to raise public consciousness about rivers and boost their conservation. Over 60 countries around the globe participate each year to celebrate the watercourses of the Earth.