On 16th May, 2017 DMF held a start off meeting with the fishing communities of Sandeshkhali-I Block at Nazat. More than 100 representatives from different fishing community hubs of Sandeshkhali-I and Sandeshkhali-II blocks participated. The fishers described their miserable condition due to destruction of fish stock in Vidyadhari river by severe pollution. The fish farmers spoke about damages to their farmed fish due to the ingress of polluted water. The fish vendors complained that there is very little fish to trade. The river based fishers also complained against the restrictions and tortures of the forest department. All the fish workers complained about the apathy of the government in providing them with infrastructure support and social welfare and security benefits like markets, ice-factory, cold box, cycle, fishing jetty, housing, insurance, loans etc. Many fish workers did not even get the government identity card. The meeting resolved to develop a sound organisational base for the small and traditional fish workers in Sandeshkhali and relentlessly fight for the rights and entitlements of the fishing communities. Next day, 17th May 2017, 15 local activists alongwith DMF leaders Pradip Chatterjee, Gobinda Das, Milan Das, Ambia Hossain and Laxman Das started a boat yatra to spread the call to save river Vidyadhari. The campaign boat, decorated with posters, banners and flags and fitted with a public address system moved from one landing place on the bank of Vidyadhari to another. At each landing place DMF activists made speeches to aware the local fishing and other communities of the need to save the river and organise themselves for struggle. Members of the fishing communities told the campaigners that 20 years back there was so much fish in the river that they could not catch, now there is no fish at all. The income and nutrition status of the villagers living on the banks of Vidyadhari have declined so much so that many people have already migrated to distant places in search of livelihood. Lack of proper nutrition and severe water pollution has brought diseases to the villages. The campaign started from Nazat market at about 9.30am. The campaign boat sailed along Kalinagar Ghat, Masjid Bari Jelepara, Gazikhali, Baunia, Nazat Hat Tala, Malancha Bachra Ghat, Ghusighata Ghat and Ghusighata Lock Gate at Kulti. The Public Works and Transport in Charge of Minakhan Block Panchayet Mortaja Mollah and vice-president conveyed their whole hearted support to the campaign. The Chief of Nazat-I Panchayet, Papia Das and Secretary Madhu Babu held a discussion with the campaigners at the Panchayet office and pledged their active support. The Chief and Deputy Chief of Kulti Panchayet Saikhuddin Mollah and Soma Mondal alongwith the Secretary of the Panchayet greeted the campaigners with lemon water and stuck campaign posters as a token of support. The villagers including the fishing community members all along the banks of Vidyadhari were curious to see the campaign boat and activists of DMF. These people, who took the death of the river as a faitaccompli, flocked on the banks with both hope and disbelief. But all of them supported the campaign and the urgent need to make Vidyadhari free of pollution. Follow-up programmes to the action-survey and campaign 1 & 2 have already started.