Kashmir

Fate of Indian Rivers

 

According to Central Pollution Control Board, rivers and streams in 31 states and union territories in India are contaminated and have bad water quality

Report By:-Praveen Bhardwaj

( Project Director, Environment and Social Development Association)

Dr. Jitendra  Nagar            ( Chairman, Environment and Social Development Association)

The main culprit for this fate of Indian river is sewage. In 2019 National green tribunal directed that 100%  treatment of sewage needed to insure. NGT directed to setting of swage treatment plants and connecting all drains with these. But we are still lack behind to fulfil these. According to National Inventory of  Sewage Treatment Plants 2021 report by CPCB. In India 72.368 MLD sewage is generally. But treatment capacity is only 26,069 MLD. These are not mere a data, this is an indication of bad health of  rivers. This huge amount of untreated discharge afloat in rivers directly. Waste water is the main cause of river pollution and this stage of Indian rivers. Government action plan for pollution of Indian rivers is up to the mark for rejuvenate rivers. But only treating sewage cannot make river healthy, minimum water flow is required for this, which is missing in action plan.

                                                                                                                             The 2nd major problem is dumping of industrial and hazardous waste. Industrial toxic waste directly flows into the rivers and pollute the clean water. Illegal dumping affects water quality as well as , aquatic life and river ecosystem. According to different reports  uncontrolled dumping of urban waste into the river spreading the antibiotic resistance.

Illegal dumping of urban waste are damaging the river beds and affect its natural flow as well as quality of water. During our study we found that almost all of the Indian rivers are facing the same challenges, here we are highlighting the two river ecosystem.

1. Hindon River:- The Hindon River, a tributary of Yamuna River originates in the Saharanpur District from Upper Shivalik in Lower Himalayan Range. The River and its tributaries, Kali and Krishni River, traverses for about 400 kilometres (250 mi) through seven districts of Uttar Pradesh. The river Hindon is one of the important rivers in Western Uttar Pradesh (India) having a basin area of about 7000 km2. It is a matter of great concern that the Hindon River and its tributaries are now highly polluted and have turned into drains. There are multiple causes for this situation. Industrial entrepreneurship has replaced early stages of human civilization. The water quality of river Hindon further gets deteriorated due to confluence of River Kali and Krishni which receive effluents from water polluting industries supported by untreated municipal wastes.  There are 90 villages located on the banks of this Priority-1 polluted stretch of River Hindon from Saharanpur to Ghaziabad. The total population of these villages is 3,80,155 which generate 41.057 MLD of sewage. There are 453 grossly polluting industries (Sugar, Pulp & Paper, Distillery, Textile, Slaughter House, Tannery etc.) located in the catchment area of the present stretch of Hindon river. The river Hindon is subjected to varying degree of pollution caused by numerous untreated and/or partially treated waste inputs of municipal and industrial effluents as assessed by water quality index also. Loss of vegetation, environmental hazards and pollution are inevitable consequences of unplanned developmental activities. Over abstraction of groundwater and use of chemicals and fertilizers in agriculture are contributing to the deteriorated status of the river. Toxic pollutants ultimately reach the ground water and enter the food chain, thus posing a threat to human health, due to this the river is now on the verge of death as the toxic levels in the river water have reached the extreme levels.

2. Tawi River:- One of the most sacred Rivers, also known as “ Surya Putri”. Tawi originate from Kailash kund in Bhaderwah, Jammu and Kashmir. Continuous dumping of garbage, toxic waste and untreated sewage are responsible not only for damaging the natural flow of river but also destroying its beautiful ecosystem and biodiversity. Above 2mg/l BOD in river is harmful, our findings portrait a very frightening scary picture of river Tawi, whose average BOD is more than 5.5 mg/l. More than 6.5 lakh people of Jammu city depends on river for their drinking needs. But now toxicity level of river Tawi has proven to major threats and there are several health issues associated with it. In 2009 government starts a project of “artificial lake” in Tawi for its beautification. After 13yr project is still not yet completed.  Instead off increasing the beautification of river it has disturbed the natural flow of river and damaging the Tawi. There are 368 hazardous waste generating units under Priority-1 area of Tawi . Because of above mention causes the river Tawi which was once the lifeline of Jammu City is dying a slow death.

                                    There are mainly three processes that helps in rejuvenation of a river mechanical, nature based solution and hybrid. We have so many great examples to show how the fate of rivers can be change. Here we are highlighting two among them :-

No river system in the world has a density of industrial agglomeration comparable to that of the Rhein river. Rhein connecting six heavy industrial countries of Europe. Almost 40 years back Rhein had been turned into a sewage. Continuous monitoring, management and best of sewage treatment facilities has changed Rhein into a cleanest river. Another example to show how a nature based solution:- tree plantation, mannual cleaning and community participation would be a great solution for the above problems, like river Seige.

It is recommended that either all the point sources should be treated before discharging their wastes into rivers  and there should be flow augmentation using fresh water through the escapes of Upper  Canal in different stretches of the river at regularly to maintain the quality of the river as it is the life line of the large population living along the river. The Government and civil societies should take initiative for Afforestation, Organic Farming, Waste Management, Ponds restoration and Governance & Participation in the river basin.  During our studies we found that, if we follow the hybrid solution and nature based solution in a best manner, we can change the fate of Indian Rivers.

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