India, July 15 -- Around 80 citizens, including local youth and residents, gathered at Akurdi on Sunday to express their disapproval of the Pavana River rejuvenation project. Through street plays, songs, and creative placards, the protest highlighted the urgent need to protect the river's natural ecosystem.

The move comes just days after the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) secured environmental clearance for its ambitious Rs.1,500-crore Pavana river rejuvenation project.

The 24.4-km-long project includes riverbank embankments and construction works, and citizens are raising serious concerns about the potential damage to biodiversity and the natural environment.

"This is not a river cleaning project. Nearly 80% of the budg...