Garhwa: Even as nationwide efforts are underway to rejuvenate rivers, the Danro river in Garhwa — considered the town’s lifeline — is being turned into a dumping ground, allegedly by the Garhwa Nagar Parishad itself.Flowing through the heart of the town, the once-wide Danro river has now shrunk to worse than a streamlet, choked with piles of garbage.The river, once a crucial water source for residents, is now littered with household waste, plastic bottles, religious offerings and discarded pouches. Ironically, maintaining cleanliness of water bodies falls under the Nagar Parishad’s mandate, for which it also receives govt funds.Danro holds cultural significance too, particularly during Chhath festival, when all 18 ghats become the focal point of grand celebrations. Decorated with colourful lights, the ghats resemble the famed Varanasi riverfront, drawing large crowds for rituals and aarti.Garhwa has a history of citizen-led clean-up efforts. The Saraswatiya river in the subdivision was recently revived after residents manually cleared water hyacinth and accumulated waste. A similar initiative was taken by a social worker, Vikas Kumar Mali, and his volunteers, who cleaned a heavily polluted pond near the inter-state bus terminus in the past. “The pond suffered for years due to garbage dumping by nearby residents,” Mali said.Taking note of the deteriorating condition, Garhwa deputy commissioner Pashupati Nath Mishra recently inspected the Danro river and directed the Nagar Parishad to immediately remove garbage and ensure scientific disposal.Executive officer Sushil Kumar said arrangements are being made to shift waste dumping to a designated site. “A 10-acre plot in Sukhbana village has been earmarked, but the land needs to be transferred to the forest department. The administration is searching for alternative land to complete the exchange,” he said.“As soon as environmental clearance is obtained, garbage will be processed and shifted to the designated dumping yard,” Kumar added.