Campaigners and Ealing residents concerned about the rise of water pollution and the impact it has on British waterways including the River Brent will be joining with musician turned environmental activist Feargal Sharkey for a national protest day in central London in October.
March for Clean Water, organised by River Action UK takes place on 26 October 2024 and will sees Mr Sharkey leading “a coalition of the concerned” to demand that the government take immediate action to stop the pollution of rivers, lakes and seas from raw sewage, agricultural waste and other chemical pollutants.
Ben Morris, a trustee of the Brent River Park charity and founder of the Clean Up The River Brent campaign (CURB) has been working with litter picking group LagerCan and other volunteers to pull tons of rubbish from the river since 2021.
In 2023 CURB developed a low-cost pollution monitoring system which is being trialled on the River Brent.
Mr Morris explained why he and his campaign group will be at the protest: “We will be marching on 26th October because our beautiful River Brent is being badly abused. We have pollution from sewage waste, road run-off, food production and fly-tipping ravaging the habitats of beavers, eels, kingfishers and other wildlife.
“It creates a destructive knock-on effect for the Brent’s connected greenspaces and a health hazard for local residents. We call on Thames Water, the Environment Agency, central government and local authorities to stop this desecration as a matter of urgency.”
He added: “As Ealing Council launches its bold and exciting Regional Park with us, now is the time to sort this out. We can’t have a contaminated watercourse at the heart of such an important and high-profile environmental project. We call on all who care for our environment to join us on the day. Every voice matters.”
Steven Toft, trustee, Brent River Park charity commented: “We wholeheartedly support River Action and Feargal Sharkey’s march. The situation is severe and urgent action is required. The relentless pollution of our rivers has a damaging effect on the entire environment. We are having constructive discussions with Ealing Council about the Brent River Park becoming an official regional park, protecting the floodplain and building upon rewilding efforts.”
Mr Toft added: “It is scandalous to have such a highly polluted river running through the middle of it. We therefore invite our supporters to join us and make nature’s voice heard on 26 October.”
