For the second consecutive year, 150 members, who included college students and amateurs alike, went on a three-day Jal Maitri Yatra from January 11 and 13. Students from the College of Engineering Pune (COEP), Fergusson College and Bombay Engineering Group (BEG) and a few other institutions participated in this journey JDP president Dr Vishwas Yevale said, “The aim of the yatra is to enable youth to witness the sad state of the river from close quarters. It is high time our environment be made a better place for the future generation and for ourselves. Mutha river has been highly polluted and littered with plastic and other harmful waste. This is why we came up with the idea of this yatra.”

The members started off their journey by road and reached Sangrun village. They made the village, which is on the northern side of Khadakwasla dam, their base camp and then covered the point trekking till the origin of the Mutha river. “After collecting the pristine water from the origin, we actually started our water expedition towards Pune. Along the way we took halts at some villages, sensitised the villagers about pollution, and planted saplings,” said Rajendra Bhalerao, a participant and employee of COEP Boat Club.