Where are the jamun trees on the jumna? IndiaMART revives the tale (Economic Times 21 March 2010)

IndiaMART .com appears to indulge heavily into corporate social responsibilities . It boasts to support the 'Meri Delhi Meri Yamuna' (MDMY)
initiative the largest public initiative to clean up the Yamuna and restore it to its past glory, before the Commonwealth Games. MDMY started as an initiative of The Art of Living, but it's now a full blown citizen's action plan. Dozens of NGOs and companies have already joined as partners.
Yamuna is immensely important for the economic, ecological and basic needs of the region and its people. Sadly, over the years, it has become one of the most endangered waterways in India. More than half of 3.6 billion tonnes of sewerage produced in Delhi everyday flows into Yamuna untreated . And we are dependent on Yamuna for more than 60 per cent of the water needed by the Delhi region.
Numerous attempts have been made but with little success, and doubt still persists about what will happen in future. The Centre for Science and Environment, which regularly monitors the quality of Yamuna water, maintains that between 75 per cent and 80 per cent of the river's pollution is the result of raw untreated sewage. Yamuna's frothy brew has become so glaring that it can be viewed on Google Earth.
Dinesh Agarwal, founder and CEO of IndiaMART.com expressing his views on this significant initiative said: "Almost all great cities and civilizations across the world are nestled around great rivers be it Paris, Tokyo, Seoul, New York or London. Delhi citizens too have a great river, but sadly we have stopped caring for it. It's time we show our pride in this national treasure before we loose it forever. We at IndiaMART.com are proud to play our part with the best of our abilities to help clean Yamuna, but a sustained support for a longer period of time will be required from every quarter, before we realize this dream."
The MDMY's other CSR partners include, Times of India, Star News, Phillips, SBI, Bajaj Allianz, Indraprastha Gas Limited, The UNESCO, World Bank, JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) have pledged their support for this hugely ambitious initiative . IndiaMART.com on its part is promoting the initiative across its network, and its management and employees are taking part in this clean-up drive as well.
The MDMY citizen initiative was formally launched on March 16, 2010, in Delhi by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, where the citizens and leaders from all walks of life were present to mark the occasion. A massive cleaning drive was also undertaken on March 14, 2010, on the Yamuna bank, which will be followed a series of such steps.
The aim of MDMY is "Sparkling Yamuna Shining Delhi" . Surely, the revival of Yamuna will mean a protection of our heritage and the currently endangered biodiversity of the eco-system , and will also be a huge contributor for tourism, a healthier and sustainable urban environment and a restoration of critical water resource.