Revitalization of Rivers in India Draft Policy - Isha Guru Jaggi Vasudev

Revitalization of Rivers In India
Draft Policy Recommendation
observed in paved roads. Since there is no room for water to seep, flooding occurs
in nearby water bodies. When a layer of water runs off a rocky surface, it reduces
friction and the following layers of water will run more freely as there is less
friction. If more water is dumped into rivers and lakes than they can handle, these
water bodies tend to overflow and the banks burst and cause flooding. If there are
more trees in an area that is prone to water runoffs, the root system of trees can
create space between these rocks and hence reduce the amount of water being
dumped into lakes and rivers.
According to a study by FAO 47 , degradation of forests limits the storage capacity
of this sponge, leading to water shortages during dry seasons and, in wet seasons,
to brief destructive floods, during which very little water is absorbed by the soil.
This is why large areas of formerly productive land, where annual rainfall is
relatively high, have become desertified once tree cover is removed. Forest buffer
zones around lakes and streams act as a filtering system, reducing the amount of
sediment, agricultural chemicals and pesticides in the watercourses. The loss of
this filtering system results in high levels of sediment and dissolved minerals in
rivers and streams which reduce crop growth and disrupt fisheries.
Increased reforestation on unstable land, and around lakes, rivers and streams
can thus help to increase the water-retention capacity of land and improve
water quality, both of which benefit food production. Forests can also enhance
water quality in other ways. Studies in Nigeria, Indonesia and other countries
have shown that, when the forest is removed, minerals and nutrients that trees
absorb or recycle end up making their way, unchecked, into drainage water. Apart
from the disadvantage of losing minerals and nutrients from the immediate
area, the extra nutrients in the water enhance the growth of oxygen-depleting
organisms on canal and river beds, and reduce the overall value of the water for
irrigation purposes. Hence, healthy forests and wetland systems provide a host
of watershed services, including water purification, groundwater and surface
flow regulation, erosion control, and stream bank stabilization. The importance
of these watershed services will only increase as water quality becomes a critical
issue around the globe. Their financial value becomes particularly apparent when
the costs of protecting an ecosystem for improved water quality are compared
with investments in new or improved infrastructure, such as purification plants
Annexures
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