Restoring river ecosystems vital to ensuring economic stability in India

The paradox of environmental preservation and urban development has been discussed more times than one can count. Often, the dialogue ends with impassioned speeches calling for harmony with nature and greater responsibility in our actions. However, as the climate crisis intensifies, the speeches have turned into tales of caution, riddled with warnings.

In the past few months, as the monsoon swept across the country, the alarming rise in incidents of rivers flooding into cities has highlighted the urgency of the issue. The consequences of urban encroachment on rivers are dire, as seen in the recent floods in Vadodara and Vijayawada.

Last month, several parts of Vadodara were submerged, with water levels reportedly rising to 8 to 12 feet for three days. This caused massive power outages, issues with network connectivity, and, more dangerously, brought crocodiles and snakes into residential areas. A significant reason for the situation remained encroachment around the Vishwamitri River, which led to nearly century-old reservoirs — Ajwa and Pratappura — overflowing and flooding the river.

Similarly, encroachment over the Budameru Rivulet is considered the primary reason behind the recent Vijayawada floods, prompting Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to declare “Operation Budameru” to remove encroachments on the rivulet. Even the national capital, New Delhi, has regularly faced floods, with the Yamuna overflowing during every monsoon season. According to the Delhi Development Authority’s 2021 Master Plan, the Yamuna’s floodplain in Delhi covers approximately 97 square km, accounting for nearly 7 per cent of the city’s total area. However, as the Master Plan suggested, encroachment over the river has restricted its flow in the city. In the process of growth and change in urban centres, human settlements and natural ecosystems bear the direct brunt. Such a disruption of river basins, which is important for ecological balance, brings about severe environmental and social consequences.

 In 2021, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs released River Centric Urban Planning Guidelines for municipal planning and development authorities to ensure sustainable river management while regulating development along the river. With rising urban populations and expanding cities, overuse and exploitation of natural resources, especially rivers, are inevitable consequences. As pollution levels rise and rivers are increasingly channelised to meet urban demands, floodplains become degraded.

A 2022 study by the Central Pollution Control Board revealed that out of 603 rivers reviewed across all states and Union Territories, 279 had 311 polluted stretches. Factors like the discharge of untreated waste, illegal construction, and river channelisation through dredging and realigning rivers continuously damage water quality, the aquatic ecosystem, and groundwater. 

 As the pace of urbanisation increases, patterns of land use transform, leading to changes in river basins. One of the immediate and visible consequences of meddling with the basins of rivers is flooding. In cities like Mumbai and Delhi, rapid urbanisation has led to encroachments on riverbanks and the conversion of wetlands and floodplains into residential and commercial areas. This has reduced the capacity of these natural areas to absorb excess rainwater during monsoon seasons. Another critical dimension of deterioration in river basins is the dwindling freshwater resources. Already considered to be one of the most water-stressed countries in the world, India has 18 per cent of the population but only 4 per cent of the world’s water resources. The rampant over-extraction of water, pollution, and mismanagement of river systems have together raised the alarm about the imminent water crisis. Freshwater ecosystems are dramatically shrinking, further exacerbating the scarcity of water.

 The shrinking and degradation of river ecosystems represent one of the biggest challenges that need national attention. It is imperative that river restoration and reclamation models are mainstreamed in urban design as we prepare our cities to accommodate 50 per cent of the population by 2050. These would include addressing river water dehydration, enhancing the aesthetic value of rivers to increase community awareness, and implementing sustainable drainage systems to improve the overall quality of river water.

River basin conservation also strongly influences the attainment of broader goals related to environmental conservation, climate change mitigation, and sustainable development. Rivers provide freshwater, regulate local climates, create biodiversity hotspots, and underpin agriculture and economic activities. India’s secure environmental and economic future remains jeopardised without concerted efforts to protect and restore river ecosystems. The threats to river basin degradation demand an address on many fronts. On the one hand, they call for more rigorous regulation in urban development and land-use laws to forestall encroachment into natural drainage systems. On the other hand, they involve restoring and rehabilitating degraded river ecosystems through measures such as reforesting riverbanks, establishing protected areas in critical watersheds, and implementing sustainable water management practices. Equally important is raising public awareness and involving communities in safeguarding water resources. 

The writers are, respectively, chair, Institute for competitiveness, and chairman, EAC-PM. With inputs from Jessica Duggal