Article:
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change recently released a Rs. 19,000-crore Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) focused on the rejuvenation of 13 major rivers in India through forestry interventions. The rivers to be targeted include Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, Sutlej, Yamuna, Brahmaputra, Narmada, Godavari, Mahanadi, Krishna, Cauvery, and Luni.
River Rejuvenation Detailed Project Report and its Objectives
Inspired by the work undertaken as part of the National Mission for Clean Ganga in 2015-16, these DPRs are driven by the growing concern around water scarcity due to the degradation of river ecosystems. They propose a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach involving diverse stakeholders to achieve goals of uninterrupted and clean water flow, and ecological rejuvenation.
Scope of the River Rejuvenation Project
The target rivers collectively cover a basin area of 18,90,110 square kilometres, which is 57.45% of the country’s geographical area. They constitute a length of 42,830 km, inclusive of 202 tributaries. The reports propose various forms of afforestation encompassing timber species, medicinal plants, grasses, shrubs, and fodder and fruit trees.
Planned Interventions for River Rejuvenation
The project outlines a holistic riverscape approach with forestry interventions in natural, agricultural, and urban landscapes within the riverscapes. It also includes conservation interventions such as soil and moisture conservation measures, wildlife management, and wetland management.
Potential Benefits of the Proposed Interventions
Some of the expected benefits include an increase in cumulative forest cover, sequestration of CO2, groundwater recharge, and job creation. The project also aligns with India’s international climate commitments, such as creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5-3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.
Challenges to River Rejuvenation
The primary challenge is the growing water crisis due to the shrinkage and degradation of river ecosystems. The success of the project will depend on several factors, including appropriate plantation methods and climate changes.
The Way Forward for River Rejuvenation
To mitigate risks associated with the plantation and climate changes, it is recommended that the forest department ensures the quality of planting stock and conducts soil and moisture conservation before plantation. This will be an essential step in effectively implementing the river rejuvenation project and achieving sustainable development goals.
Government Policies & Interventions
India has pledged towards a variety of international commitments, including restoring 26 million hectares of degraded lands by 2030, halting biodiversity loss by 2030, and achieving net zero emission by 2070. At the COP26 meeting, India promised a reduction of its projected carbon emission by one billion tonnes by 2030 and meeting 50% of energy requirements with renewable energy by 2030.
Net Zero Emissions and Renewable Energy Targets
As part of the global efforts to combat climate change, achieving net zero emissions by 2070 is part of India’s commitment. This involves enhancing non-fossil energy capacity to 500 gigawatts by 2030 and decreasing the carbon intensity of the economy by 45% by 2030. These measures will be instrumental in moving towards a more sustainable, eco-friendly future.
