Bharalu: a journey from a river to a drain
This year’s observance of World Environment Day will be on the theme of ‘ecosystem restoration’ and focus on resetting our relation with nature. Ecosystem restoration means assisting in the recovery of ecosystems that have been degraded or destroyed, as well as conserving the ecosystems that are still intact.
Restoration can happen in many ways — for example through actively planting or by removing pressures so that nature can recover on its own. It is not always possible — or desirable — to return an ecosystem to its original state. We still need farmland and infrastructure on land that was once forest, for instance, and ecosystems, like societies, need to adapt to a changing climate. Restoration could remove 13 to 26 gigatons of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. The economic benefits of such interventions exceed nine times the cost of investment, whereas inaction is at least three times more costly than ecosystem restoration.
All kinds of ecosystems can be restored, including forests, farmlands, cities, wetlands and oceans. Restoration initiatives can be launched by almost anyone, from governments and development agencies to businesses, communities and individuals. That is because the causes of degradation are many and varied, and can have an impact at different scales.
For instance, degradation may result from harmful policies such as subsidies for intensive farming or weak tenure laws that encourage deforestation. Lakes and coastlines can become polluted because of poor waste management or an industrial accident. Commercial pressures can leave towns and cities with too much asphalt and too few green spaces. Lack of awareness and responsibility towards the natural resources can also result in converting a river into a stinky and smelly drain.
One such instance or case study exists in our own city Guwahati — the Bharalu River. This river is a tributary of the Brahmaputra River in the Indian state of Assam and it originates in the Khasi Hills of Meghalaya and flows through the heart of Guwahati before its confluence with the Brahmaputra River. Today, Bharalu is known as one of the most polluted rivers in the state of Assam. Bharalu carries a large portion of the Guwahati city’s municipal wastes and it serves as the natural drainage in Guwahati and the river carries sewage and waste from markets, commercial establishments, hotels, restaurants, etc. and flows to meet Brahmaputra river at Bharalumukh. The biochemical oxygen demand of the river is 52 mg/L in compared to the permissible limit and set by the National River Conservation Directorate (NRCD) at 3mg/L. This clearly indicates towards excessive water pollution. Again, the obnoxious smell generated by the river is also a health hazard for the residents residing near the Bharalumukh area.
As Brahmaputra is the main source of drinking water for Guwahati city and its neighboring areas lying on both sides of the riverbank, it is important that the inputs to the river through the tributaries are not excessively loaded with pollutants. Moreover, the pollution level at Bharalu is regarded as one of the major sources of contamination affecting the overall quality of Brahmaputra’s water.
The Government of India has approved the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) assisted Rs 1,178.75 crore Guwahati Sewerage Project in zone-I of the city. In February 2015, JICA signed an official development assistance loan agreement with the Indian government for this sewerage project.
The objective of the project is to provide reliable sewerage services by carrying out the construction of sewerage facilities and an extensive network of sewers in South and East Guwahati. The JICA is providing Rs 1001.28 crore funding and the state’s share is Rs 177.47 crore. The total duration of the project is seven years.
The project includes laying of trunk sewer length of 201 kilometre (km), lateral sewer of 501 km and 101,058 house connections.
But the question and the thought that prevails is:
Whether this is enough?
Will it ensure that no pollutant will be added to Bharalu river in future after its restoration?
We don’t have an answer to this question thus, the solution does not only lies with the organizations and government agencies but the true solution lies with the community. If today, we as community decide to restore our river only then these programs will be successful otherwise cleaning the river once is not going to restore its ecosystem but actual restoration will begin with community involvement and realization and when each and every citizen will take this responsibility that they will not throw any garbage in the Bharalu anymore.
We are aware of the fact that, restoring ecosystems large and small protects and improves the livelihoods of people who depend on them. It also helps to regulate disease and reduce the risk of natural disasters.
Hence, we as students should engage in efforts to recover ecosystems that have been degraded, damaged or destroyed. We must connect with the environment and should contribute towards improving the health of the ecosystems in our surroundings.
At the time this article was published, the author Rudra Singhal was a student of Grade 12 at Sanskriti The Gurukul
