National Mission for Clean Ganga unveils draft framework for rejuvenating small rivers

New Delhi, Jul 17 (PTI) The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) on Friday unveiled a draft framework for rejuvenating small rivers, saying they require a distinct approach from large river conservation programmes such as Namami Gange. The draft Small River Rejuvenation (SRR) Framework was presented at a national workshop attended by experts, scientists, government officials, researchers, representatives of state governments and civil society organisations. Delivering the keynote address, NMCG Director General Rajeev Kumar Mital said the challenges facing small rivers are fundamentally different from those confronting medium and large rivers and, therefore, require a separate template for their rejuvenation. He said the Namami Gange framework, built around the pillars of "Nirmal Ganga" and "Aviral Ganga", cannot be directly applied to small rivers. While uninterrupted flow may be a priority for urban small rivers, the focus in rural areas should be on restoring natural connectivity, catchment treatment and local water storage, he said. Mital said community participation has to go beyond awareness and translate into direct responsibility, as small rivers are closely linked to the everyday lives of local communities. He said sustaining the revival of small rivers over the long term is a greater challenge than restoring them initially and stressed that the framework addresses issues such as connectivity restoration, geomorphological correction, pollution and climate-related interventions. Mital said financing for small river rejuvenation would require convergence of resources available under existing government schemes, with nature-based solutions playing a central role because of their cost-effectiveness. Executive Director (Projects) Brijendra Swaroop said the draft framework has been prepared over the last one-and-a-half years through three rounds of consultations involving institutions such as Delhi University, the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), Wetlands International and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). He said Friday's workshop marked the first of three regional consultations on the framework. Similar consultations will be held in Pune for the southern and western states and in Guwahati for the eastern and northeastern states before the framework is finalised. Swaroop said small rivers are the source of major rivers such as the Ganga, Yamuna and Teesta, carry the pollution load of the basins they pass through and continue to sustain India's agrarian economy by influencing cropping patterns and rural livelihoods. He said the framework seeks to complement engineering-based river restoration measures with nature-based ecological solutions suited to local biodiversity and environmental conditions. The workshop featured technical sessions on hydro-ecological restoration, pollution abatement and nature-based solutions, and governance and community participation. Recommendations emerging from the three regional consultations will be incorporated into the final SRR Framework. PTI ADI KSS KSS