Union Ministry of Environment and Climate change on January 24, 2018, unveiled a new strategy for conservation and rejuvenation of major Indian river water systems.
What is ‘new’ in the new strategy?
- As per the Union Environment minister, the new strategy is a holistic approach which takes into account the entire river basin, which is contributing its flow to the particular river stretch for conservation.
- So far the strategy for conservation of rivers was limited only to tackling pollution load from domestic wastewater and regulation of industrial pollution. But under new strategy, water management and environment management are taken together for implementation to restore the lost ecology of the polluted stretches of the Indian rivers.
- 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 (BOD). BOD is a critical parameter of water quality.
- The new strategy will be tried out on a few stretches in the country covering sub-basin or catchment area of river.
- The 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.
- Under the new strategy, projects to treat sewage will be taken up immediately, since its flow into the selected river stretches is the most significant polluter.
- 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 Ministry is planning to set up a ‘sewage management system’ with private participation.
- 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 are also part of new strategy.
