Env ministry to take up new approach for holistic rejuvenation

A new strategy will be brought for conservation and rejuvenation of major rivers in which water and environment management will be taken up together to restore the lost ecology along polluted stretches, Environment minister Harsh Vardhan today said.
He said independent institutions, like the IITs, will be entrusted with the study for preparation and finalisation of river basin management and rejuvenation plan for nine selected stretches.
Chairing a meeting of the ministry today, Vardhan said the plan takes into account the entire river basin, which is contributing its flow to the particular river stretch for conservation.
"The present strategy for conservation of rivers is limited only to tackling pollution load from domestic wastewater and regulation of industrial pollution.

"The new approach is a holistic one for rejuvenation of rivers, wherein water management and environment management are taken together for implementation to restore the lost ecology of the polluted stretches of the rivers," he said.
The ministry also decided today that a meeting will be called soon of all five states to work out an implementation plan for the Ganga river basin at the earliest.

It was also decided that resources from Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) fund will be roped in for this.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had identified 302 river stretches on 275 rivers in the country as polluted, based on Bio-Chemical Oxygen Demand, a critical parameter of water quality.

"To begin with, we need to try it (plan) out on a few stretches in the country covering sub-basin or catchment area of river.
"Independent institutions like IITs will be entrusted with the study for preparation and finalisation of river basin management and rejuvenation plan for nine selected stretches," he said.
Since sewage into the selected river stretches is the most significant polluter, projects to treat it will be taken up immediately, the minister said.
Vardhan emphasised that under the conservation plans, sewage treatment will be made mandatory along the identified stretches.
Since enforcement of provisions of the Water Act and Environment (Protection) Act comes under the local bodies in respective states, the Environment Ministry plans to set up a sewage management system with private participation.

Some of the other actions include watershed management, construction of small check-dams along the catchment area, scientific assessment of quantum of environmental flow in each stretch, rejuvenation of lakes and wetlands along the river basin and protection of floodplains from encroachment.
A detailed presentation on Detailed Project Report (DPR) on forestry interventions for Ganga was made by the Director of the Forest Research Institute (FRI).
Appreciating the efforts of the FRI, Vardhan said that it is a comprehensive document covering all aspects of forestry interventions required, including past and present status of Ganga river and its environmental peculiarities.
The project report prepared by the FRI for Catchment area Treatment of Ganga river covers five states - Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal -- and has an estimated cost of Rs 2,500 crore.

The minister pointed out that the need of the hour is to prepare a project for the catchments of all important rivers of the country and implement it over the next 10 years.
The ultimate mission, he said, is to make all the rivers clean and ensure adequate water in it to flow.