Sultanpur Lodhi, July 13 -- To mark the 26th anniversary of the "kar sewa" (voluntary community cleaning) of the holy Kali Bein, a special environmental conference was held in Sultanpur Lodhi on Sunday.

Addressing the gathering, Afroz Ahmad, expert member, National Green Tribunal (NGT), said every section of society, particularly religious leaders, must come forward to free the country's rivers from pollution and illegal encroachments. He said the NGT has directed the authorities in Punjab and several other states to identify river land and remove illegal occupations.

"Nearly 12,000 river pollution-related cases are currently pending before the NGT. Strict action is being taken across the country to remove encroachments from river basin...