GRBMP 2nd Newsletter_Final.pdf - GANGAPEDIA
GRBMP 2nd Newsletter_Final.pdf - GANGAPEDIA
GRBMP 2nd Newsletter_Final.pdf - GANGAPEDIA
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In orrder<br />
to achieeve<br />
the abovve<br />
mentionedd<br />
objectives, , following pr rinciples andd<br />
criteria mayy<br />
be adopted d:<br />
Apply modern scieence<br />
and neww<br />
technologiies<br />
but with traditional wwisdom<br />
(&aana Qaara + jana &aan na).<br />
Precauutionary<br />
Prinnciples<br />
must apply whereever<br />
knowled dge gaps andd<br />
uncertaintiies<br />
exist.<br />
Multi‐ ‐disciplinary inputs needded,<br />
but neeed<br />
to be ca autious abouut<br />
only “Expperts”<br />
and “Some “ Influeential<br />
Stakehholders”<br />
drivving<br />
the proccess.<br />
Processs<br />
should ideeally<br />
start frrom<br />
smaller watersheds and build up<br />
in a nested<br />
manner to o the higher sub‐<br />
basin level, and thhen<br />
to the baasin<br />
level.<br />
Keep fflexibility<br />
to cater to futuure<br />
needs and<br />
changing contexts. c<br />
Clearlyy<br />
articulate choices andd<br />
the trade‐off<br />
involved d – Environmental<br />
Flowws,<br />
Irrigation n, Hydro poower,<br />
Domestic,<br />
Commeercial<br />
and Industrial<br />
neeeds<br />
or in oth her words Ennvironmental,<br />
Social, Cultural,<br />
Econoomic,<br />
and Financial<br />
criteeria<br />
must be given appropriate<br />
weigh htages.<br />
Need to treat parrts/portions<br />
of basin with<br />
heavy inte erventions (hhighly<br />
altered/modified)<br />
differently from<br />
portioons<br />
with low interventionn<br />
intensity (nnear<br />
pristine) ).<br />
Avoidiing<br />
and eliminating<br />
polluution<br />
through<br />
all direct and a visible annthropogenicc<br />
activities (z zero tolerancce<br />
or<br />
concept<br />
of zero discharge).<br />
Considder<br />
surface and groundd<br />
water toggether;<br />
Explore<br />
all posssible<br />
meanss<br />
of storing g water keeeping<br />
continnuous<br />
flow, aand<br />
longitudinal,<br />
lateral aand<br />
vertical connectivity c of the riverss.<br />
Existinng<br />
water usees<br />
to be proteected<br />
but care<br />
taken that<br />
existing ineequities<br />
are nnot<br />
perpetua ated.<br />
Creating<br />
broad puublic<br />
acceptance<br />
of the pplan<br />
(local bo odies, state aassemblies<br />
and<br />
parliament<br />
to debatee<br />
and<br />
approve).<br />
Creation<br />
of structuures<br />
to monitor<br />
and regulate<br />
the im mplementatioon<br />
(nested governance;<br />
central c and sstate<br />
governnment<br />
to serve<br />
as mentoor<br />
and local communitie es assigned rroles,<br />
responnsibilities<br />
and d rights on wwater<br />
considdering<br />
comprromises<br />
by/nneeds<br />
of upsstream/downstream<br />
commmunities.<br />
A river basin may be viewwed<br />
and mo odeled as a ttree<br />
(e.g. Baanyan<br />
Trree<br />
as showwn<br />
in the addjacent<br />
pictu ure) having numerous leeaves<br />
(reepresenting<br />
numerous watersheds) ) and many small and large<br />
brranches<br />
(representing<br />
small st treams/minoor<br />
and mmajor<br />
tributaries).<br />
Itt<br />
is important<br />
to realize that t health oof<br />
each and eevery<br />
watershed<br />
is paramountt<br />
to the ma aintenance oof<br />
the healtth<br />
of<br />
streams/<br />
tribuutaries,<br />
as aalso<br />
the health<br />
of the mmain<br />
stem oof<br />
the<br />
rivver<br />
in the bbasin.<br />
Hencee<br />
a bottom‐up<br />
approacch<br />
of conseerving<br />
watersheds,<br />
sstreams<br />
andd<br />
tributaries, , and wetlands<br />
to the main<br />
stem<br />
of the rivver<br />
is essential.<br />
While<br />
in terms oof<br />
actions ceertain<br />
issues (e.g. pollution),<br />
stretche es (e.g. mostt<br />
polluted sttretches),<br />
are eas or parts (e.g.<br />
mosst<br />
sensitive and<br />
fragile Gaangotri<br />
Valleey<br />
or some wwetlands)<br />
ma ay be addresssed<br />
on priorrity<br />
dependin ng upon urgeency,<br />
availability<br />
of reesources<br />
(e.gg.<br />
data and information)<br />
and time required r to ccomplete,<br />
annd<br />
integrate e upwards too<br />
the<br />
basin<br />
level (parts<br />
to the whole<br />
conceppt),<br />
the thouught<br />
process s has to be the other wway,<br />
i.e. who ole to the pparts.<br />
Simiilarly,<br />
GRB EMMP<br />
should bbe<br />
prepared based on souund<br />
scientific<br />
principles aand<br />
with appplication<br />
of modern/stat<br />
m te‐of‐<br />
the‐ ‐art tools, tecchniques<br />
andd<br />
methods bbut<br />
with tradditional<br />
know wledge and bbeliefs<br />
(e.g. ssubtle<br />
quality y of Ganga wwater<br />
as expressed<br />
thrrough<br />
followwing<br />
“Shloka” ” may also haave<br />
to be giv ven due conssideration).<br />
Asyaaa<br />
jalsya gauNaaa<br />
: SaItatvama\, ssvaadutvama,<br />
sva vaCtvama, Atyanntar}cyatvama\<br />
, paqtatvama\,<br />
paavanatvama\ ma\, paapahairtvamma\,<br />
taRYNaamaaohQQvaMsatvama\,<br />
dIp panatvama\, pa`&aaQQaairtvaMca,<br />
[it ita rajainaV-NaT T :<br />
TThe<br />
qualities oof<br />
the Ganga wwater<br />
are: Cooolness,<br />
sweetnness,<br />
transpar rency, high tonic<br />
property, wholesomene ess, potability, , ability<br />
to remove evils, ability tto<br />
resuscitate ffrom<br />
swoon ccaused<br />
by deh hydration, digeestive<br />
propertty<br />
and ability to t retain wisddom<br />
The use of tradittional<br />
knowledge/beliefss<br />
and precauutionary<br />
principle<br />
thus may<br />
imply thaat<br />
due consid deration be ggiven<br />
to thhe<br />
subtle quuality<br />
of Gannga<br />
water annd<br />
scientific efforts shou uld continuee<br />
to further uunderstanding<br />
on traditional<br />
knowwledge<br />
and bbeliefs.<br />
The policy frameework<br />
propoosed<br />
as abovve<br />
for preparring<br />
GRB EMP<br />
needs to bbe<br />
discussed at several fo orums by various<br />
stakkeholders.<br />
Feeedback,<br />
suggestions<br />
andd<br />
comments will be highl ly appreciateed.<br />
Vinod<br />
Tare, Profe fessor, IIT Kaanpur
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