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

Revitalization of Rivers In India
Draft Policy Recommendation
Hydromorphological alterations: Hydropower generation, flood protection, land
reclamation, and navigation are the main driving forces for hydromorphological
alterations in the DRB. Approximately 700 major hydraulic structures (dams and
weirs >15 m), including 156 large hydropower dams, have been built in the DRB.
Approximately 30% of the length of the main stem is impounded through 78 major
hydraulic structures. Less than 15% of the Upper Danube remains free-flowing.
Alterations of the sediment regime: The dams along the main stem have severely
interrupted sediment transport in the Upper Danube. The Iron Gate dams retain
approximately two-thirds of the suspended solids. Therefore, sediment delivery
to the Delta decreased from 53 to 18 million tons/year, resulting in severe coastal
erosion (after WWF, 2008, quoted by Sommerwerk N. et al., 2010). River-bed
incision further reduces low water levels and impedes the hydrological connection
between the channel and its floodplains.
Water pollution: Despite an overall improvement in water quality over the past
few decades, the Danube and its tributaries remain exposed to multiple point
and nonpoint pollution sources. The construction and upgrade of wastewater
treatment plants (WWTP) have reduced the input of biodegradable organic
matter in the Upper Danube during the past three decades. In the Middle and
Lower Danube, water quality remained relatively high until the 1970s, but then
deteriorated owing to rapid industrial development, poor pollution control, and
inputs from heavily-polluted tributaries. However, the high self-purification
capacity of the remaining natural river sections and alluvial wetlands has buffered
these adverse effects, and at the same time has maintained a relatively high
biodiversity up to now.
Non-native and Invasive species: For centuries, European inland waterways have
provided opportunities for the spread of non-native aquatic species. At present, a
complex network of more than 28,000 km of navigable rivers and canals connects
37 European countries, creating a biological ‘meta-catchment’ that encompasses
large parts of the continent (after Panov et al., 2009, quoted by Sommerwerk N. et
al., 2010). The Danube River belongs to the Southern Invasive Corridor that links
the Black Sea with the North Sea via the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal. At present,
141 alien and cryptogenic taxa have been reported for the DRB (www.alarmproject.
Annexures
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