River revived, faith restored: From project to participation

A district magistrate sets out to restore Azamgarh’s soul, which soon turned into a public movement, reports Namita Bajpai

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FOR people in Azamgarh, the Tamsa was never just a stretch of flowing water. It was something handed down across generations, familiar in prayers, in old family tales, and in the way elders spoke about the land. That is why its slow deterioration felt like more than an environmental problem. As the river sunk into deterioration, many felt as if a part of their own past was slipping away from them.