Invitation For India Rivers Day 25 November 2017

Dear Friends, 

Rivers in India are in a crisis. 

Gravely concerned at the situation, India Rivers Week, a consortium of seven Non-Profit Organizations [SANDRP, Toxic Links, WWF(I), Peace Institute, Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan, INTACH, People Science Institute] has been organizing an annual event since 2014 focused on fundamental issues and alternate thinking about rivers.

As urban settings are inflexion points on the river course the theme for this year is “Rivers In The Urban Context.”

In view of your deep involvement and concern in the well being of our Rivers, we at IRW humbly request you to spare your valuable time and participate in the proceedings where we look forward to benefit from your insights.  

The almost final program is here (India Rivers Day Program Nov 25 2017) and the venue is at INTACH, 71, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi-110003 on 25^thNovember, 2017. This year’s Bhagirath Prayas Samman awards for exemplary work on River Conservation and inaugural Anupam Mishra Medal for exemplary media work on Rivers will also be given away by Justice Madan Lokur of Supreme Court of India. An exhibition on Urban Rivers will also be opened. 

Thanking You,

Please let us know if you can come.                                                                                                   

Yours Sincerely

On Behalf of Organizing Committee of India Rivers Week

Manu Bhatnagar

Principal Director, INTACH

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Will this ‘Rally’ help the rivers?

PRESS RELEASE From India Rivers Week Organising Committee on Sept 13, 2017

We are concerned about the increasing superficial optics around saving rivers, with little or no effort to address fundamental issues which are causing their demise.

The high profile rally initiative to save India’s rivers taken up by well respected religious guru Sadguru and his followers is noteworthy, and the most recent case in point. It is striking that so many film stars, politicians, governments, and public personalities, are joining the call. Lakhs of children are expected to join in the program. While we welcome such an outpouring of good intentions and good will as a demonstration of the positive energy all around, unfortunately, we have seen no evidence either from the rally organisers, on their website[i] or their messaging, that they understand or plan to address the real threats faced by our rivers and their sorry state.

Invitation for BPS-2017 & Shri Anupam Mishra Memorial Medal-2017 Nominations

Dear All,

Greetings from the India Rivers Week (IRW) Organising Committee!

This is to request for nominations for Bhagirath Prayaas Samman (BPS) 2017.

As you will recall BPS is an attempt to acknowledge and celebrate outstanding, inspirational, unsung initiatives in river conservation.

This year we are also initiating Shri Anupam Mishra Memorial Medal to celebrate media professionals who have established an exceptional body of credible work on various aspects of rivers leading to changes in behaviour, public discourse, law and policy. Self nominations will also be considered.

Brahmaputra Rivers Profile

This report was commissioned for India Rivers Week 2016. Its a short description of a detailed report which can be seen here Brahmaputra Rivers Profile.

The profusion of rivers in the northeast India is simply unparalleled. There two major rivers Brahmaputra and Barak have been joined by tributaries in abundance – small and big, the bigger tributaries often surpassing some prime main stem rivers of other states of the country.

Interestingly, both Brahmaputra and Barak, after flowing through the length of the state, merges with other rivers at Bangladesh, to finally fall into the Bay of Bengal. On the other hands, both the rivers, notwithstanding their accompanying hydro disasters in the corresponding Brahmaputra valley and the Barak valley (also known as Surma valley) during monsoon, makes the floodplains fertile by the endowment of fine nutrient laden silt load.

Jammu and Kashmir Rivers Profile (Jhelum and Chenab Basins)

This report was commissioned for India Rivers Week 2016. Its a short description of a detailed report which can be seen here Jammu & Kashmir Rivers Profile

This report discusses a few of the significant issues in the Jhelum and Chenab basin two of the main tributaries of the Indus and provides the readers a snapshot of the issues confronting the water resources development in the basins. On the basis of these factors, the health and status of the Jhelum and Chenab basins is determined using an assessment matrix providing qualitative weights to each of the indicators and influencing factors to arrive at the overall score of the river categorizing a riverscape as healthy, sick and dying.

Rivers of Chhattisgarh

This report was commissioned for India Rivers Week 2016.  Its a short description of a detailed report which can be seen here Chhattisgarh Rivers Profile

 

About Chhattisgarh

The state of Chhattisgarh was carved out of the state of Madhya Pradesh in the year 2000. The total area of CG state is 135,100 sq km. The state has been divided into 27 districts. The total human population of the state is 27.94 million. 

Climate: The climate of Chhattisgarh is tropical. It is hot and humid because of its proximity to the Tropic of Cancer and its dependence on the monsoons for rains. Summer temperatures in Chhattisgarh can reach 45 °C (113 °F). The monsoon season is from late June to October and is a welcome respite from the heat.

Rivers of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana

This report was commissioned for India Rivers Week 2016. Its a short description of a detailed report which can be seen here Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Rivers Profile

 

This is about two states, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana (the latter being 29th Indian state formed in 2013 after a protracted struggle). Since the discussion is on the state of rivers, it may be noted that these are two states whose historical trajectory is intrinsically linked to the history of, mainly, two major rivers—Krishna and Godavari, although the two states have many other rivers.

In fact, Telangana, was created after many years of struggle and out of one basic river-water discourse: over the utilisation of Godavari river and unequal development of the Godavari delta region vis-à-vis Telangana on account of the numerous irrigation projects and hydro-power projects commissioned and implemented in the coastal Andhra region.

In the wake of the recent contention between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and the resolution over utilisation of the other river, Krishna, the state of rivers in Andhra Pradesh cannot be seen without addressing the same in Telangana, which have a historical trajectory that necessitates an understanding of the two states together while discussing rivers.

To some extent, this report looks at the politics over rivers and the contemporary development paradigm, involving construction of hydro-electric projects and several subsidiary projects using rivers, as one of the major threats to the life of rivers. These projects also add to pollution, displacement, protracted battles, sometimes involving violence, such as the one we are witnessing over Cauvery river between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, where even Tribunals seem to have failed.

Rivers of Odisha

This report was commissioned for India Rivers Week 2016.  Its a short description of a detailed report which can be seen here Odisha Rivers Profile

 

About Odisha

Odisha is located on the eastern coast of India, between 17o31‟ and 22o 31‟ N latitude and 81o 31‟ and 87 o 31‟ E longitude. It covers 155,707 km2 , which represents about 4.74% of the area of India. The climate of state is tropical with 1450mm average rainfall.

The 2011 Census established the State‟s population at 41.9 million, 16% of which lived in urban centres. The average population density is 270 persons per km2, compared to 382 for India.  Odisha is a land of possibilities. The State is endowed with bountiful of resources, people, land, water, forest, minerals and other minor resources. The State is divided into 30 districts, of which Mayurbhanj is the largest (1042km2) and Jagatsinghpur the smallest (197km2). The districts are subdivided into 314 CD Blocks. There are 58 sub-divisions and 171 tahasils. According to 2001 census there are 51,349 villages and 6234 Gram Panchayats.(ORISSA STATE WATER PLAN, 2004). 

The Rivers of Goa

This report was commissioned for India Rivers Week 2016.  Its a short description and detail report of the same can be seen here Goa Rivers Profile 

About Goa Rivers

Goa is twenty fifth state of the Indian Union occupying an area of about 3,702 sqkm. This small  but picturesque state is sustained by 11 rivers. These rivers have supported the land of Goa since the earliest forms of human habitation. The discovery of numerous rare Stone Age carvings stands testimony to this.

Terekhol, Mandovi, Baga, Zuari, Colval, Saleri, Mandre, Harmal, Sal, Talpona and Galjibag are the eleven rivers of Goa which are known as the lifelines of the state. Due to the extent of their drainage areas and the human attraction they hold, these main eleven rivers and their 42 tributaries are significant, not only as the source of potable water but they support also the Goan eco-systems.

Jharkhand Rivers Profile

This report was commissioned for India Rivers Week 2016.  Its a short description and detail report of the same can be seen here Jharkhand Rivers Profile

About Jharkhand 

 

Jharkhand State stands on a hilly undulating plateau characterized by predominantly tropical forests and tribal settlements. The total geographical area of the State is 79.70 lakh hectares. The state falls under the Tropical Monsoon climatic region. Presently there are 24 districts in Jharkhand. The population of the State is 32.96 million.

Marvelous eye catching rare geological/geomorphological features like rejuvenated meandering and deep cutting young rivers like Damodar are the uniqueness in the State. It is rate because of combination of senility with the character of young rivers. The state has the luxuriant forests and lush green rolling seasonal meadows. Magnificent undulating hills and valleys are the special attraction. The golden river ‘Swarnarekha’ adds melody in the pristine environment along the course. A combination of table-top flat lands and the peneplain with dome shaped exfoliating hillocks resembling like inverted Nagara (drum) are spread over the state. Further, the Tors or the balanced diamond shaped rocks are also present wonderful nature of the state.