New Delhi: Two days after G.D. Agarwal died while on a fast demanding government action to ensure that the Ganga is rejuvenated, another activist, 36-year-old Sant Gopaldas, who has been fasting since June 24, was rushed to AIIMS in Rishikesh early on Saturday morning. Gopaldas stopped the intake of water three days ago and the local administration took him to the emergency ward of the hospital. His blood sugar levels are low and he is also suffering from severe dehydration. The administration has told hospital authorities that they can take any steps that may be required to save Gopaldas’ life including force-feeding, if necessary, reported Hindustan Times. Currently, he is being given intravenous fluids.
Gopaldas has been demanding that mining activities along the Ganga river bed be stopped and concrete steps be taken to rejuvenate the river. He had been fasting at Triveni ghat in Rishikesh. After the death of G.D. Agarwal on October 12, Gopaldas announced that he would shift the location of his fast to Matri Sadan, where Agarwal had been fasting.
Read: G.D. Agarwal’s Third and Final Letter to PM Modi on Saving the Ganga
Agarwal died after a fast that lasted 112 days. He had been demanding that the government take steps to make the Ganga ‘aviral’ (free flowing). He wanted the government to stop the construction of all hydroelectric projects along the tributaries of the Ganga, the enactment of the Ganga Protection Management Act, and that sand mining be stopped. But, the government failed to address his demands.
He wrote three letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi this year, but never received a response. After Agarwal’s passing, Modi tweeted condoling his death.
Saddened by the demise of Shri GD Agarwal Ji. His passion towards learning, education, saving the environment, particularly Ganga cleaning will always be remembered. My condolences.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 11, 2018