Bharatapuzha - Kerala |
According to recent press release from Ministry of
Environment and Forests, GOI, pollution abatement works are going on in various
major rivers across 20 states under ‘National River Conservation Plan’ on a
cost sharing basis between centre and state.
According to this report, we spent around a whopping 4629 crores
in cleaning the rivers. However another GOI report states that,
S. No.
|
State
|
State Implementing Agency
|
River
|
Funds Released
(Rs. crore)
|
1
|
Andhra Pradesh
|
Public Health Engg.
Department.
Hyderabad Metropolitan
Water Supply & Sewerage Board.
AP Tourism Corporation
Ltd.
|
Godavari & Musi
|
259.80
|
2
|
Bihar
|
Bihar Rajya Jal Parshad
Urban Infrastructure
Development Corporation
|
Ganga
|
92.07
|
3
|
Jharkhand
|
Mineral Area Development
Authority
|
Damodar, Ganga &
Subarnarekha
|
4.45
|
4
|
Gujarat
|
Ahmedabad Municipal
Corporation
|
Sabarmati, Mindhola
|
131.76
|
5
|
Goa
|
Deptt. of Science,
Technology & Environment
|
Mandovi
|
9.26
|
6
|
Karnataka
|
Karnataka Urban Water
Supply & Drainage Board
Karnataka State Pollution
Control Board
|
Bhadra, Tunga-bhadra,
Cauvery, Tunga & Pennar
|
47.83
|
7
|
Maharastra
|
Maharashtra Jeevan
Pradhikaran
Nasik Municipal
Corporation
Kolhapur Municipal
Corporation
|
Krishna, Godavari, Tapi
& Panchganga
|
128.79
|
8
|
Madhya Pradesh
|
Madhya Pradesh Pollution
Control Board
Public Health Engineering
Deptt.
|
Betwa, Tapti, Wainganga,
Khan, Narmada, Kshipra, Beehar, Chambal & Mandakini.
|
79.0
|
9
|
Orissa
|
Orissa Water Supply and
Sewerage Board
|
Brahmini & Mahanadi
|
61.41
|
10
|
Punjab
|
Punjab Water Supply &
Sewerage Board
|
Satluj & Beas
|
321.69
|
11
|
Rajasthan
|
Public Health Engg.
Department
Urban Improvement Trust,
Kota
|
Chambal
|
41.12
|
12
|
Tamilnadu
|
Chennai Metropolitan
Water Supply and Sewerage Board
Tamilnadu Water Supply
and Drainage Board
|
Cauvery, Adyar, Cooum,
Vennar, Vaigai & Tambarani
|
623.65
|
13
|
Delhi
|
Delhi Jal Board.
Municipal Corporation of
Delhi.
|
Yamuna
|
656.69
|
14
|
Haryana
|
Public Health Engineering
Deptt.
|
Yamuna
|
305.63
|
15
|
Uttar Pradesh
|
Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam
|
Yamuna, Ganga &
Gomti, Ramganga
|
1262.88
|
16
|
Uttrakhand
|
Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam
|
Ganga
|
89.40
|
17
|
West Bengal
|
Kolkata Metropolitan
Development Authority
Commerce & Industries
Dept for CETP
|
Ganga, Damodar &
Mahananda
|
656.22
|
18
|
Kerala
|
Kerala Water Authority
|
Pamba
|
2.78
|
19
|
Sikkim
|
Water Security &
Public Health Engg. Department, Govt. of Sikkim
|
Rani Chu
|
90.41
|
20
|
Nagaland
|
Public Health Engineering
Deptt., Govt. of Nagaland
|
Diphu & Dhansiri
|
4.50
|
Total
|
4628.79
|
“With the pollution abatement works completed So far,
despite significant increase in urbanization, industrialization and growth in
population in cities along the banks of river Ganga, the water quality in terms
of BOD (Bio-chemical Oxygen Demand) values reported to have improved as
compared to the pre-GAP water quality on major monitoring locations. However,
the levels of bacterial contamination in terms of fecal coliform are reported
to be exceeding the maximum permissible limit at a number of locations”
“The water quality of river Yamuna has not shown the desired
improvement owing to a large gap between the demand and availability of sewage
treatment capacity and lack of fresh water in the river”
In central India, many small rivers don’t exist even for
namesake in off-monsoon season. In my last journey through Madya Pradesh I
could see a lot of dry river beds here and there. If this is the situation in
December then just imagine what will happen in summer?
In south also situation is not so good. In earlier days
Bangalore had a lot of lakes, overtime many lakes were levelled to build big
residential areas. As a result, now city is facing severe water shortage. Even
in God’s own country – Kerala, blessed with two monsoon and 44 rivers over a
small stretch of land in the laps of Western Ghats– condition is not good. At
Pattambi, once the river used to touch the bridge on the height of monsoon, now
water level is not coming anywhere close to it. Forget about touching the
bridge, it is hardly flowing in summer.
Conclusion
It is good to hear that government is spending money in
cleaning rivers. At the same time, it is also important to make sure that, an adequate
amount of water is flowing through it. It was only other day someone reported
about, how the falling water level affects crocodiles in Chambal.
At first we need to make sure that, enough water is flowing
through the river to maintain its ecological needs, then we have to make sure that
there is enough dissolved Oxygen in river for aquatic species to maintain a
healthy life, then comes sewage treatment to make sure that humans can consume
the water.
Sajeev.
References
1. Ministry of Environment and Forests, GOI.
Rivers have been the life line to any society and civilizations formed in the areas abutting the rivers.These have become of such an importance to humans that we consider them sacred and worship. The cities which flourished along the river have become a curse to the river. The population growth led to generation of tons of waste. The encroachments and untreated sewage and industrial effluents are the main culprits for threatened life in the river. Unless the community's whole hearted efforts in controlling these causal factors and Govt.'s continuous regenerating efforts take place simultaneously, the vulnerability of our lifelines persist.
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