SHIMLA, MARCH 17: Five major “choked arteries of North India- Beas, Chenab, Ravi, Satluj and Jhelum- and their 81 tributaries- which gurgle down through Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir are set for getting a MAJOR "green makeover”, if one goes by rejuvenation project released by the Union Minister for Environment and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav on March 14,2022.
Like Namami Gange, ambitious project aims at increasing the forest cover of about 825.34 sq km in the vicinity of the five river basins. It will reduce 9.1 million tonnes of atmospheric carbon dioxide. In addition, the greening project is expected to increase water conservation by 108.6 million cubic metres per annum and will lead to a comprehensive reduction in sediment load in rivers.
The project is seized of the fact that continuous degradation and degradation of the river ecosystem due to various human activities have been depleting water resources. As a result, the growing water crisis is becoming a major obstacle in achieving the national goals related to environmental protection, climate change and sustainable development. “Keeping this in mind, it was decided by the National Afforestation and Environment Development Board, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Government of India that the major rivers of the country need urgent rejuvenation. “, informed the scientists.
These rivers are Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, Sutlej, Yamuna, Brahmaputra, Luni, Narmada, Godavari. Efforts are afoot for conservation and rejuvenation of Mahanadi, Krishna and Cauvery and these rivers should be rejuvenated through forestry activities, said the scientists.
This important task has been entrusted to the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, Deharadun, a leading body working in the field of forestry research in the country to submit a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the restoration of 13 major rivers by forestry activities. “ICFRE accomplished the task involving regional research institutes across the country".
Director Himalayan Forest Research Institute, Shimla Dr SS Samant said the water level of these rivers has registered a decline over time and due to human intervention, the condition of these rivers has been adversely affected . The total length of the 5 rivers covered under the project - Beas, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej and Jhelum - and 81 tributaries including main streams 81- is 6099.92 km, he said.
He said rivers as well as their tributaries have been identified for forestry activities under natural landscape, agricultural landscape and urban landscape proposed for the interventions. “Various models of forestry plantations including wood species, medicinal plants, grasses, shrubs and fuels, fodder and fruit trees are aimed at increasing the volume of water, increasing ground water recharge and preventing soil erosion”.
He further informed that in all the 5 DPRs for forestry intervention and allied activities proposed in different landscapes. As many as 221 treatment and tree plantation models are proposed, including 94 treatment models for natural landscape, 20 treatment models in agricultural landscape and 36 treatment in urban landscapes, he said.
Similarly, as many as 47 models have been proposed for soil and water conservation, 24 for other GIS based activities, on consultations with various stakeholders. Site specific treatments have been proposed in terms of soil and moisture conservation and planting of grasses, herbs, forestry and horticultural trees for the treatment of priority sites in the river landscape by technology, he said.
DPRs were released by Bhupender Yadav, in the presence of Gajendra Singh Shekhawat Minister of Jal Shakti, A Kumar Choubey, minister of state, environment, Ministry of Forests and Climate Change and team of top officials and heads of the institutions involved in the project.
Bhupender Yadav said in his address it is a matter of great concern that most of the rivers of the country are polluted and as per the thinking of the Prime Minister of the country, Narendra Modi, providing clean water to the people of the country is a big challenge. “For which the Government of India is making continuous efforts and special efforts are being made in this direction by the Ministry of Jal Shakti”.
He said after the implementation of the forest conservation, afforestation, catchment treatment, ecological restoration, moisture conservation, livelihood reform and income generation, Tourism by developing river banks, Eco-parks focus on eco-tourism and increasing awareness among the public and in the conservation of water and environment certainly will turn out to be milestone.
HFRI is among nine institutes of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, a regional institute in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir that will carry out y forestry activities along the major rivers.
(Kuldeep Chauhan is Editor, HimbuMail).
