NAGPUR: As India prepares to host the 11th Conference of Parties (COP)
at the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Hyderabad from
October 8 to 19, experts say it needs to take a look at the pathetic
state of Indian rivers, riverine and connected terrestrial biodiversity
and communities.
"Even as union environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan made a public statement that biodiversity assessment will now be included in the impact assessment, the fact is the government has absolutely no effective policy, law or programme for protection of India's rivers," said Himanshu Thakkar of South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers & People, Delhi.
Even as the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) reported in its latest submission to CBD that it has increased protected areas from 1.33 lakh sq km to 1.56 lakh sq km, India has next to none protected areas for explicit protection of rivers and freshwater biodiversity.
The only exceptions are the National Chambal Sanctuary, Ken Gharial Sanctuary, Sanjay Gharial Sanctuary, Vikramshila Dolphin Sanctuary etc. and even these protected areas (PAs) are facing huge water abstraction pressures from upstream and downstream.
Thakkar says 'World Rivers Day' is the time to take stock of how we are treating our rivers and the communities that depend on them. "The scene looks bleak today. Our rivers are so threatened that if they were a species instead of our life support systems, they would have been declared as endangered, red data book species," says Thakkar.
Dams, hydropower projects, diversions, pollution, floodplains and river bed encroachment, bad water management practices have all but destroyed rivers and the ecosystem goods and services they provide to millions.
Rivers from Alaknanda in Uttarakhand to Krishna in Andhra Pradesh, from Sutlej-Ravi-Beas in Himachal to Godavari and Wainganga in Maharashtra, from Brahmaputra in Assam to Sabaramati in Gujarat, from Yamuna in Delhi to Netravathi in Karnataka, from Chenab in Kashmir to Chalakudy in Kerala all are facing a crisis and need urgent help.
Looking at the immense ecological, economic, social and cultural value of Indian rivers, Thakkar has drawn attention of the Centre to come out with a policy and law for protection of rivers and also declaring certain rivers in each state as no go areas, and leave them in their natural state, not allowing any dams, hydropower projects or such structures on them.
Shockingly, India does not include 'rivers' in its definition of wetlands. Nearly all the Ramsar sites of India are lakes or reservoirs. Even they are getting affected by upstream dams and abstraction and no effective protection is accorded to them. There are hardly any legal instruments to protect rivers and ironically, the World Rivers Day celebration started in 2005 on last Sunday of September, following endorsement of the UN.
The reality of plans like National River Conservation Program, Ganga Action Plan, Yamuna Action Plan, the recently constituted National Ganga River Basin Authority etc is that none of them have any success to show in terms of protection or rejuvenation of a river.
The CAG report on Water Pollution (2011-12) has said that India's 14 major, 55 minor and several hundred small rivers receive millions of litres of untreated sewage, industrial and agricultural wastes. Presently, only about 10% of the waste water generated is treated while the rest is discharged as it is into our water bodies. "Over 38 years after enactment of Water Pollution Control Act in 1974, the only noteworthy thing one can say is that the state pollution control boards (SPCBs) have be formed under it but all have been complete failures and are known as dens of corruption," Thakkar alleged.
"Even as union environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan made a public statement that biodiversity assessment will now be included in the impact assessment, the fact is the government has absolutely no effective policy, law or programme for protection of India's rivers," said Himanshu Thakkar of South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers & People, Delhi.
Even as the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) reported in its latest submission to CBD that it has increased protected areas from 1.33 lakh sq km to 1.56 lakh sq km, India has next to none protected areas for explicit protection of rivers and freshwater biodiversity.
The only exceptions are the National Chambal Sanctuary, Ken Gharial Sanctuary, Sanjay Gharial Sanctuary, Vikramshila Dolphin Sanctuary etc. and even these protected areas (PAs) are facing huge water abstraction pressures from upstream and downstream.
Thakkar says 'World Rivers Day' is the time to take stock of how we are treating our rivers and the communities that depend on them. "The scene looks bleak today. Our rivers are so threatened that if they were a species instead of our life support systems, they would have been declared as endangered, red data book species," says Thakkar.
Dams, hydropower projects, diversions, pollution, floodplains and river bed encroachment, bad water management practices have all but destroyed rivers and the ecosystem goods and services they provide to millions.
Rivers from Alaknanda in Uttarakhand to Krishna in Andhra Pradesh, from Sutlej-Ravi-Beas in Himachal to Godavari and Wainganga in Maharashtra, from Brahmaputra in Assam to Sabaramati in Gujarat, from Yamuna in Delhi to Netravathi in Karnataka, from Chenab in Kashmir to Chalakudy in Kerala all are facing a crisis and need urgent help.
Looking at the immense ecological, economic, social and cultural value of Indian rivers, Thakkar has drawn attention of the Centre to come out with a policy and law for protection of rivers and also declaring certain rivers in each state as no go areas, and leave them in their natural state, not allowing any dams, hydropower projects or such structures on them.
Shockingly, India does not include 'rivers' in its definition of wetlands. Nearly all the Ramsar sites of India are lakes or reservoirs. Even they are getting affected by upstream dams and abstraction and no effective protection is accorded to them. There are hardly any legal instruments to protect rivers and ironically, the World Rivers Day celebration started in 2005 on last Sunday of September, following endorsement of the UN.
The reality of plans like National River Conservation Program, Ganga Action Plan, Yamuna Action Plan, the recently constituted National Ganga River Basin Authority etc is that none of them have any success to show in terms of protection or rejuvenation of a river.
The CAG report on Water Pollution (2011-12) has said that India's 14 major, 55 minor and several hundred small rivers receive millions of litres of untreated sewage, industrial and agricultural wastes. Presently, only about 10% of the waste water generated is treated while the rest is discharged as it is into our water bodies. "Over 38 years after enactment of Water Pollution Control Act in 1974, the only noteworthy thing one can say is that the state pollution control boards (SPCBs) have be formed under it but all have been complete failures and are known as dens of corruption," Thakkar alleged.
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