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THE Mahakumbh has returned to Allahabad and preparations have been on to ensure the Ganga flows clean for the biggest religious congregation in the world. The question is why is it only on occasions like Kumbh that the focus shifts on the Yamuna and Ganga? Sangam makes up for about 60 per cent of the Yamuna waters, though people around Delhi may find this hard to believe since they have seen the river flow like a sewer. The relatively “pure” waters of the Yamuna at Sangam are not a result of any engineering feat; nature was “allowed” to heal the river along the way. The Yamuna covers 170 km in Uttarakhand, passing through the elevated valley of Dehra Dun, cutting through the Shivalik hills to enter the plains of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Ton and Asan in Uttarakhand and Kamal and Giri in Himachal are its main tributaries and the waters are pure, as waterman Rajendra Singh says, people of the hills know how to respect their rivers. It’s when the river reaches the Hathinikund barrage and enters Utttar Pradesh and Haryana that it is defiled. Most of the waters are drawn for power generation, irrigation and drinking purposes. At Tajewala, the Yamuna is divided into the Western Yamuna Canal and the Eastern Yamuna Canal for Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Thereafter, except for the seasonal stream Som Nadi near Yamunanagar and the heavily polluted river Hindon near Greater Noida, the Yamuna flows as a drain, carrying waste water from cities. Manoj Misra of the Yamuna Jiye Abhiyaan says requirements should be designed around what we have through social engineering aided by technical measures like sewage treatment plants. The focus so far has been on sewage treatment but one of the key recommendations of those working on the ground has been to shift to socio-centric methodology. Criticising the Environment Ministry for its “business-as-usual and passing-the-buck approach” towards the pollution in rivers, a parliamentary panel recently recommended that institutes of social sciences should be involved in the clean-up plans along with IITs. Under the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGBRA), a Ganga river basin management plan (GRBMP) is being prepared by the Consortium of the Indian Institutes of Technology. The Supreme Court had recently asked the IITs to explore options to check the growing pollution in the Yamuna. However, the panel says unless the flow of the river is maintained at a reasonable level, no effort will be successful. It has asked the government to first ensure the flow is not disturbed or blocked and take steps to stop encroachment and illegal commercial activities in the catchment areas. It has also asked the Centre to play a more proactive role while coordinating with state governments. It’s another matter the NGRBA has not met in months. Misra says, “The authorities think IITs have all the wisdom. Those working at the ground level have also been unable to make themselves heard. The IITs may attract bright minds but they cannot claim to have all the wisdom. It is the people working with the rivers on the ground who know where the problem lies. The reason why the Yamuna, which flows like a dirty drain till Agra, revives to contribute 60 per cent of the flow at Sangam is because its tributaries retain their identity in the absence of major industrial clusters along their course.” Experts say for a healthy river, it is essential 70 per cent of the waters must flow in the river at all times. “You must not extract more than 30 per cent from a river and it should not be thrown back in any form. In the Yamuna, not even 3 per cent is flowing while in the Ganga, the situation is only slightly better,” he claims.
A pipedream Water is needed for agricultural, industrial and domestic purposes, and so maintaining the ideal flow may not be easy. Conservationists say even treated sewage should not be pumped back into rivers. “For glacial rivers like the Ganga and Yamuna, the greatest need for a reasonable flow is during the lean season between February and June. After monsoon, the flow gets reduced to a trickle around November and by February, nothing much is left in the river. If you take even that away, how can it survive?” Misra asks. The waters are being diverted for more and more schemes like canals and projects for more and more cities to fulfill poll promises, he adds.
Rationing, recycling The government needs to turn consumers — the industry, farmers and city urban dwellers — into conservators. The waters help to sustain biodiversity and recharge ground water. The industry should be told water is limited and it should be used judicially. Farmers should be asked to recycle it and employ sustainable practices, besides opting for crops that do not require huge amounts of water. People should be encouraged to ration water. “The authorities should use integrated water sources like lakes and rainwater to create a win-win situation for all. Till taps are flowing, people will not understand the need to harvest rainwater. The absence of relevant laws and political compulsions in states like Punjab and Haryana to provide free power is compounding the problem,” says Singh. Wastewater should be recycled and given to the industry for keeping campuses green. Treated sewage can be used in agriculture. Rashtrapati Bhawan uses this water for its lawns. The system can be replicated in the rest of Delhi.
Action plan Action plans focus on sewage treatment rather than ensuring ecological security of rivers as an ecosystem. “The pollution control measures of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) have failed to deliver as municipal authorities report to the Urban Development Ministry. The MoEF should review river conservation programmes and surrender pollution control to the relevant ministries,” says Misra.
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It seemed the end of the road for the beleaguered leader, who was being systematically sidelined in the party for the past three years and relentlessly targeted by the Dhumal regime. The BJP was celebrating, and so were his detractors within the Congress. With the tag of a tainted leader, he was not expected to play any major role in the state politics. However, the indomitable “raja” from the erstwhile princely state of Rampur Bushair fought his way back, leading the Congress to victory in the Assembly polls and reclaiming the throne. Luck is charm A veteran of many-a-political battle, Virbhadra has weathered innumerable storms, but the six months preceding his installation as Chief Minister for the sixth time were the most turbulent. He had to fight on many fronts — his detractors within the party, the BJP and a legal battle. Pushed to the wall, he did not hesitate in confronting the high command. He camped with his supporters in Delhi and adopted rebellious postures, making the high command yield to his demand to hand him the reins of the party weeks before the elections. He did all that was required to pull off a win and bring the party back to power and even befriended his bete noire, Vijay Singh Mankotia. Having gone so far, a defeat would have sealed his political fate. Defying his advancing years, Virbhadra campaigned tirelessly through the length and breadth of the state for over three weeks and turned the mission “repeat” of the BJP into mission “delete”. He also won the legal battle a day before his coronation. It is not for the first time that he has come out clean. He has faced charges in the past and invariably got a clean chit. The old war horse proved that the high command did not err by reposing confidence in him for bringing the Congress back to power, which seemed a tall order after it licked dust in Punjab and failed to get a clear majority in Uttarakhand. People connect His clout can be judged from the fact that he won with a huge margin of 20,000 votes even though he was forced to shift to a new constituency, Shimla Rural, after his traditional Rohru seat was reserved after delimitation. He visited the constituency just for a few hours and addressed one rally. With the kind of unflinching support of the people he enjoys, he can be down but never out. It is this uncanny ability of bouncing back that has helped him survive ordeals time and again. He has retained the royal trait of protecting his domain and this quality has enabled him to dominate the political scene for a long time. He is at his belligerent best when confronting political rivals and goes all out to decimate them politically. At times, vendetta is discernible in his approach and political battles get reduced to settling personal scores. In the process, he has ruffled many feathers over the years and for those at the receiving end, he is an intolerant despot who considers the state his fiefdom. Virbhadra has been bitter about the treatment meted out to him by former Chief Minister PK Dhumal and his coterie of officers. He maintained they slammed frivolous charges against him and vowed to teach them a lesson. However, after coming to power, he has mellowed. He asserts action will be taken but his government will not indulge in vendetta. Virbhadra could be imperious and ruthless in dealing with political rivals but is benevolent towards the poor. He has been quietly helping the needy, even when out of power, and has extended financial assistance to many for pursuing education, medical treatment or for the wedding of their daughters, from his own pocket. His compassionate and humanitarian attitude towards the poor has enabled him to rule the hearts of the people. Quirk of fate Virbhadra, the most successful politician of the state, never had any plans to enter politics. He was handpicked by Lal Bahadur Shastri, the then minister in the Nehru’s Cabinet, who was scouting for young leaders. He was asked to contest the Lok Sabha elections from the Mahasu seat and he hasn’t looked back since. He did not allow his aristocratic lineage and elite education come in the way of establishing a rapport with the people and plunged into politics as a fish takes to water. His political innings is yet not over, though he has indicated that he will not enter the fray in the future. A postgraduate in history from Delhi University, Virbhadra is a voracious reader. He is particular about the correct usage of words and loves browsing dictionary. Having studied at Bishop Cotton School, Shimla, and St Stephen’s College, Delhi, he has good command over the English language and comes up with right phrases at the right time, particularly when attacking rivals. Virbhadra is a devotee of Goddess Bhima Kali. “I get the strength to fight against all odds from the Goddess, who has never failed me”. He makes it a point to pay obeisance to the Goddess during the
Navratras.
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At Etawah, the Chambal, which has escaped human assault due to the terrain, provides a new lease of life to the Yamuna. “Yamuna’s journey is a sad story of neglect and plunder but with a moral — respect the river as a living entity, allow it to retain some of its rightful share so it flows with dignity and see it bestow upon you bountiful gains,” he says.
The Ganga and Yamuna are ranked among the most polluted rivers of the world with fecal coliform levels and untreated industrial waste in the river many times over the limits.
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