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Picture Courtesy:  DOWNTOEARTH

Context

Community-led initiatives in Belgahana revived the Ghongha River, creating a model Gram Panchayat River Sanctuary for sustainable conservation.

Rivers in India

Indian rivers are broadly classified into two main groups based on their origin: Himalayan rivers and Peninsular rivers.

Himalayan rivers: Perennial, fed by both monsoon rainfall and the melting of snow and glaciers. 

• Ganga River System: Largest river system, flows through Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal before emptying into the Bay of Bengal.
• Indus River System: Originates in Tibet and enters India in Jammu and Kashmir. The main tributaries in India are the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej.
• Brahmaputra River System: Originates in Tibet and enters India through Arunachal Pradesh, flowing through Assam before merging with the Ganga in Bangladesh. 

Peninsular rivers: Primarily rain-fed and largely seasonal. 

• East-flowing rivers: Drain into the Bay of Bengal and include the Godavari, Krishna, Mahanadi, and Kaveri.
• West-flowing rivers: Drain into the Arabian Sea and are shorter. The Narmada and Tapi are the two major ones. 

Importance of Rivers in India

Ecological Role: Rivers support biodiversity, regulate water cycles, recharge groundwater, and maintain soil fertility.

Economic Significance: Rivers sustain agriculture, fisheries, and livelihoods for millions.

Cultural and Social Value: Integral to rituals, festivals, and the very identity of communities, as seen in Chhath Puja. 

Water Security: With 18% of the world’s population but only 4% of freshwater, India’s rivers are critical for drinking water, irrigation, and industrial needs.

Challenges Rivers Face

Dams and Diversions: Dams disrupt flow, alter aquatic migration, and raise water temperatures.

Pollution: Industrial effluents, untreated sewage, and plastic waste degrade water quality, with 70% of India’s rivers polluted.

Over-Extraction: Irrigation canals and groundwater overuse deplete river flows, impacting agriculture and livelihoods.

Deforestation and mining: Unchecked sand mining in watershed and deforestation disrupt natural recharge, exacerbating droughts.

Climate Change: Erratic monsoons and high runoff reduce river sustainability.

Policy Gaps: Weak enforcement of river conservation laws and lack of community involvement hinder restoration efforts.

Role of Community in River Conservation: Ghongha River Case Study

Background: Ghongha, a tributary in the Mahanadi basin, supported 40 villages in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, until a 1980 dam and quarrying reduced its flow, impacting agriculture and forcing youth migration.

Community Response: In 2023, Sarpanch, Self Help Groups (SHGs) leveraged Panchayati Raj rights to declare Ghongha a Gram Panchayat River Sanctuary, inspired by Rajasthan’s Arvari model.

• Gram Panchayats, under the Panchayati Raj Act, 1992, have authority over natural resource management.

Actions Taken:

• Gram Sabha Resolution: Legally protected the river and its riparian buffer.
• Reforestation: Planted native trees along riverbanks to restore ecosystems.
• Zero-Waste Policy: Initiated door-to-door plastic collection and a waste management facility employing SHG women.
• Health Camps: Treated 150 families, collecting data to inform regional healthcare policies.
• Horticulture Unit: Provided jobs in fruit cultivation, linking conservation with livelihoods.

Significance of the Community Model

Empowerment: Strengthens local governance and women’s leadership, ensuring inclusive decision-making.

Sustainability: Community-led efforts prioritize long-term ecological balance over short-term gains, unlike top-down dam projects.

Replicability: Belgahana’s model, inspired by Arvari, has spurred regional conservation. Neighboring villages adopted similar models.

Socio-Economic Benefits: Links conservation with livelihoods (e.g., waste management, horticulture jobs) and health, reducing migration.

Biodiversity Conservation: Protects aquatic species and riparian ecosystems.

Initiatives for River Conservation by Indian Government

Namami Gange (2014): Program to clean the Ganga, focusing on sewage treatment, riverfront development, and biodiversity conservation.

National Hydrology Project (NHP): Monitors river basins to improve water resource management.

Jal Shakti Abhiyan (2019): Promotes water conservation through rainwater harvesting and watershed management, targeting 256 water-stressed districts.

River Rejuvenation Programs: Ministry of Jal Shakti’s guidelines for restoring small rivers through community participation and afforestation.

Way Forward  

Strengthen Local Governance: Empower Gram Panchayats with funding and technical support under Panchayati Raj Act to manage rivers.

Scale Community Models: Replicate Belgahana’s sanctuary model across Ganga basin and other states.

Sustainable Infrastructure: Redesign dams and check dams for ecological flow and involve communities in planning.

Reforestation and Waste Management: Expand native tree planting and zero-waste policies, integrating SHGs for livelihoods.

Technical Support: Partner with universities for research on aquatic species, nutrition, and conservation dynamics.

Funding Mechanisms: Allocate Corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds and government schemes (e.g., MGNREGA) for community-led river projects.

Pollution Control: Enforce bans on illegal quarrying and plastic dumping, with CPCB monitoring water quality.

Climate Resilience: Promote rainwater harvesting and watershed management to counter erratic monsoons.

Conclusion

Belgahana’s community-led Ghongha River revival offers a blueprint for sustainable, scalable river conservation that balances development and ecological heritage.

Source: DOWNTOEARTH