Madhya Pradesh to ban liquor, meat shops and consumption in temple towns along Narmada river

File picture of Kanwariyas along the Narmada river in Madhya Pradesh
| Photo Credit: A.M. Faruqui

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Saturday (September 14, 2024) directed officials to shut down liquor and meat shops and prohibit consumption of these in all religious towns along the Narmada river across the State.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee, constituted to oversee the development action plan to maintain the river clean and its flow intact, on Friday. Mr. Yadav chaired the meeting.

Originating from Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh, Narmada is considered a holy river by Hindus and has a number of famous religious sites along its route.

“I am confident that all the departments of the government will work in a coordinated manner and maintain the form and sanctity of Maa Narmada. Our effort will be to ban meat and alcohol around religious towns. The action taken in the context of the instructions will be reviewed again in November,” Mr. Yadav said.

Efforts were being made to maintain the sanctity of the river, he said. “This is not a one-day process; it is a progressing one,” he said in a video message earlier in the day.

The Chief Minister also issued directions that Amarkantak’s development should be done through the Amarkantak Development Authority, while giving top priority to environmental protection.

“For any future settlements, land should be identified away from the origin of the Narmada river and satellite cities should be developed. It should be ensured that sewage from any settlement, from Amarkantak to the State border, does not mix in the Narmada river. For this, work should be done in a time-bound manner,“ Mr. Yadav said. He asked officials to monitor the activities around the Narmada through satellite imagery and drones to ensure protection of the environment.

Mr. Yadav also ordered prohibition on mining activities in the river using machines. He emphasised the use of latest technologies for solid waste management at locations along the river.

The Chief Minister also advocated promotion of natural farming in areas stretching up to 5 km from both sides of the river.

The Cabinet Committee was also informed that there are 21 districts, 68 tehsils, 1,138 villages, and 1,126 ghats as well as 430 ancient temples of Lord Shiva and two shaktipeeths along the Narmada. Of its total length of 1,312 kilometres, the river covers 1,079 km in Madhya Pradesh.

Saying that the Narmada is the only river in the world where devotees carry out Parikrama (circumambulation) around it, Mr. Yadav asked officials to develop the Narmada Parikrama as a major pilgrim and tourist activity and develop the route accordingly.

“Activities towards infrastructure development should be initiated through local panchayats and committees by marking places along the Parikrama route. Along with this, self-help groups and local youth should be encouraged to develop homestays and make arrangements for accommodation and food for those on Parikrama journey,” he said.

The Madhya Pradesh Congress welcomed the move but accused Mr. Yadav of neglecting Ujjain. “It is a welcome move but he comes from the city of Mahakal (Ujjain) and he should ban liquor there first,” the State Congress president Jitu Patwari said, speaking to news agency ANI.

Mr. Patwari alleged that the Chief Minister was trying to mislead the public. “His predecessor Shivraj Singh Chouhan had also given speeches about (developing) places along the Narmada and gained praise, but what happened to those promises,” he told news agency PTI.