DAM Scandal

As per the story on the Hindustantimes.com a new scandal of dams has been added to existing long list of scandals. The current one is in Uttarakhand where many hydroelectric power projects (HEP) have been sanctioned. Number of Dams will be constructed on Bhagirathi, Alaknanda and Ganga for these HEP projects and these dams will kill the lifeline of Nation our famous River GANGA.

The above mentioned HEP projects will kill the lifeline of Nation river 'Ganga' famous for its religious attachment with peoples of India. Ganga is also very important source of water for big chunk of agricultural land in India and source of water supply for many states. As per the Controller and Auditor General (CAG) reports HEPS projects has been given to the companies who don't have any previous experience of building HEPs and the projects has been distributed in a way that it causes major revenue losses to the government. Also many big questions marks has been raised from environmental point of view for these projects.

Project developers has been favored by permitting them to divert the 90 per cent water of the river to the turbines which leaves only 10 percent for natural flow and in long term will lead to drying of river. The international standard for diversion of river water is maximum 75 percent. Already India has lost one of its famous river Saraswati and another river Yamuna is going through critical stages.

Hindustantimes also reported that government removed its power advisor and Chairman of its Jal Vidyut Nigam, Yogendra Pasadena so that he do not become a obstacle in “irregularities being done by the government”.

The biggest question is how the state and central government has passed all these projects and why the both levels of government did not think that leaving only 10 percent of natural flow in river will affect the agricultural crops and still a big slice of Indian population is dependent on agriculture. We all knows that agricultural production is a major factor in GDP of nation.

WE MUST SAVE OUR NATURAL RESOURCES TO SAVE OUR PLANET. WE ARE ALREADY FACING PROBLEM OF GLOBAL WARMING AND SCARCITY OF WATER.

PLEASE COME FORWARD TO RAISE YOUR VOICE AGAINST ABOVE.

Ganga & Yamuna

Image via Wikipedia

Ganga & Jamuna are famous rivers of India. As per hindu methodology they are treated as Mothers. Bbut currently all the rivers are too much polluted and on verge of disappearance.

Ganga

Ganga is so much polluted due to Inorganic and toxic effluents discharged by industries, cremation of human bodies on banks of rivers and practice of throwing dead bodies, flowers and other articles into river makes it dirty.

The cleanliness drive / plans for river by government has failed. For Ganga river the Ganga Action Plan had been started in 1986 but according to some sources it 39 percent of primary target is reached. Ganga passes through approximately 29 cities and 70 towns and every city and town throw its waste in river while it is industry waste, garbage, sewerage, or any other thing.

Yamuna / Jamuna

Yamuna is currently on verge of disappearance because of extensive flow of industrial waste, sewage, dumping of other waste of cities. The most dangerous threating area for Yamuna starts from Delhi. In previous decades sewage of city is used for agricultural land but as all agriculture land has been occupied for residential purpose so the sewage flows into Yamuna.

As the river drifted into Faridabad its burden of sewage and industrial waste kept on increasing and the spectacular failure of the Yamuna Action Plan began to unfold. Although court had directed the government for cleanness of Yamuna and Yamuna Action Plan had been launched but it is not showing any result and no one is monitoring it. Crores of rupees has been spent in the name of Yamuna cleaning but results are zero.

Steps Required to save Our motherly Rivers

- To make Ganga, Jamuna and other rivers POLLUTION FREE a central empowered committee must be formed on urgent basis which consisting of representatives from Government/Judiciary /NGOs/Local Peoples/Environmentalist/Scientists etc.

- Deforestation in Himalayas

- Eco Friendly tourism

- Time bound Plantation programme near the rivers

- Whenever any dam is created its impact must be analyzed and corrective action should be implemented before the dams start working

- Enforcement of various laws which stops flow of industrial effluents and sewage from cities and towns into rivers

- Continuous Progress Report must be provided to public / Judiciary about cleanness, plantation and action taken against law violators

- Mass awareness campaign against Pollution

- Media must highlight pollution saving tips

- Creation of website for saving rivers

- Political Parties must make pollution a part of their political/election agenda

Cleaning of River Yamuna

The Yamuna sometimes called Jamuna or Jumna is a major river in northern India having total length of approximately 1,370 kilometers. Its source is at Yamunotri and it flows through the states of Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh and finally merges into River Ganga at Allahabad. Mathura, Agra and Delhi are the major cities lying on the banks of this river. In 1970-80’s Yamuna was the lifeline of Delhi has now became the most polluted water resource of the country. Increasing pollution of the Yamuna has now become an international issue and a cause of concern for environmentalists. Big industries, Factories, Peoples living in colonies, slums and rural areas everyone pollute this holy river. 18 drains of city falls into the river as it covers distance of 22 km in Delhi. City dumps its 3,296 MLD (million litres per day) of sewage in the river. A few years back when the pollution level of Yamuna increased alarmingly, the Delhi government woke up. A number of projects were launched by the government to clean the Yamuna, but till date nothing has happened. Yamnua Action Plan has not given desired results because it is not in accordance with the Master Plan for Delhi-2021. Last Year Delhi Govt. entered into agreement with Engineers India Limited to clean Yamuna. Delhi Jal Board (DJB) proposed laying down sewers along the three major drains — Najafgarh, Supplementary and Shahadra drains and also make 15 sewage treatment plants functional to prevent the waste from going into this holy river. Recently DJB accepts before the court that some lapses are have gone in past regarding cleaning of river and we all knows that most sewage treatment plants are malfunctioning or don’t have sufficient maintenance and manpower due to corruption and lack of administration. Delhi Govt said that it will be not able to clean the Yamuna before 2012 or upto 2010 Commonwealth Games but government had not considered to work 24 x 7 x 365 to clean the river. If cleaning work goes 24 x 7 x 365 the Holy River will be definitely clean before 2010.

In 1960 the famous Thames river of London was also got polluted but the river had been cleaned with excellent clean up model and now the river is a very important part of London’s beauty. We hope that the same will goes for Yamuna before 2010 Commonwealth Games.

The most important question is that can clean up drive become successful without the contribution of Delhites? In our country, India we all assumes that it is duty of government to do everything. If government agencies failed to do something, should not we take our own initiative and put our efforts to complete the project. It is almost impossible to make the Yamuna clean, till Delhites wake up. It is the prime duty of Delhites to help the government to save Yamuna. Only then Yamuna clean up drive can achieve its goal.

'Obviously, there is need for greater involvement of citizens' groups and volunteers

All over the world, there was a fresh reawakening about the state of rivers.