Ecology is humanity's deepest concern at the moment: Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev

MUMBAI: Ecology is not a fashionable topic for discussion, but it is humanity's deepest concern at the moment, said Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, the founder of Isha Foundation that has conceived the campaign ' Rally for Rivers' to rejuvenate the country's fast-depleting water bodies.

"For the last 20 years, we have entered into the development mode. Now is the time to enter sustainable development mode because we have already reached a threshold...just doing things emotionally will not produce results, doing things strategically will," he said while addressing a gathering that included political leaders, corporate honchos, celebrities and hundreds of volunteers here.

According to him, pollution in rivers across the country can be cleaned up in the next three years if there is political will. However, the bigger issue is that these rivers are depleting fast and this also needs to be addressed immediately.

"Rivers are depleting fast and with sustained efforts we can reverse the trend. We owe it to our future generations,“ said Bennett, Coleman & Co Ltd's Managing Director Vineet Jain, who was also present at the event.

'Rally for Rivers' was flagged off on September 3 by Union Minister of Environment, Forest & Climate Change Harsh Vardhan. Since then the rally has covered 4,700 kilometres, seven states and 42 large-scale public events. The campaign has been receiving support from all political parties, religious groups, corporations, educational institutions and state governments across the spectrum.

The campaign will culminate in New Delhi on October 2 in the presence of the country's political leadership.

Sadhguru also sought people's support for 'Rally for Rivers' through a missed call on 80009-80009. This will be counted as a vote of support for a long-term river rejuvenation policy, which he said is essential in a democracy. 'Rally for Rivers' is seeking pledges from a large section of the population that accounts for the majority of the electorate, which will help formulate a long-term policy pronouncement and execution.