Thousands of people have raised a banner of revolt against control of mafias over two prominent rivers of Allahabad- Ganga and Yamuna. Inhabitants of the these river beds have found their livelihood threatened by mafias who have virtually monopolised the rivers for many decades. The on-going protest is seen as culmination of a series of resistance by people from Nishad and Passi community to free themselves from clutches of these mafias who run a parallel administration in the river.

What appears to have triggered people's protest is the decision by the government to launch repressive measures against those tried to raise their voice against the undesirable elements backed by the local mafia-turned politicians. According to sources, hundreds of protesting people have been arrested while there is an attempt to declare the entire region as Naxalite-infested area by the government to subdue the popular protest. A team of civil right activists led by Justice RS Sachchar will be visiting Allahabad to make an on-the-spot assessment of the situation next week.