Rejuvenation of Kuttamperoor River

Back to life: Rejuvenation of Kuttamperoor River in Alappuzha complete.

The 7.2-kilometre-long waterbody, a tributary of the Pampa and Achencoil rivers, perished slowly in about 2005 due to years of rubbish dumping, encroachment, and other anthropogenic activity.
It was resurrected over six years thanks to public participation and government assistance.
The Utharappalli River Restoration Project has failed.
As part of reviving the river, the Major Irrigation Department removed encroachments, deepened the channel, and built bunds on both sides.
The revitalised river is 50 metres wide.
Although the government had sanctioned 15.7 crores for the project, we completed it for 13 crores,” said a Major Irrigation department officer.

Overview
- The Kuttamperoor River, a Pampa and Achenkovil Rivers tributary, is reborn.
- A initiative to eliminate accumulated rubbish has given the river a new lease on life.
- A 5-kilometre section of the river in Alappuzha district’s Budhanoor panchayat has been cleaned up.
- Thick layers of water, weeds and waste poured into the canal for over a decade had to be removed.
- A 12-kilometre-long river cleaning operation had been planned for many years but had not received adequate funding.
- The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme was used for the project.
- Approximately 200 people were hired over two months, resulting in 30,000 man-days.

About
- River rejuvenation is the process of reviving or restoring a river’s natural flow and health after it has been harmed by human activities such as;
  - Trash disposal
  - Encroachment
  - Pollution.
- The procedure entails the removal of contaminants, the cleansing of riverbeds, and the restoration of the natural ecosystem surrounding the river.
Impacts
- It can assist in restoring plant and animal habitats, boost biodiversity, and offer cleaner water for drinking and irrigation.
- Reviving rivers can also enhance tourism in the area and improve the livelihoods of those who rely on them.
- Furthermore, river rejuvenation can aid in flood control and damage reduction.
- A healthy river can absorb extra water during heavy rains and prevent flooding in downstream communities.
- This can save lives and property and lessen the economic burden of flooding.
Initiatives
- In 2022, the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change will produce Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) worth Rs. 19,000 crores to rejuvenate 13 important rivers through forestry initiatives.
- Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, Sutlej, Yamuna, Brahmaputra, Narmada, Godavari, Mahanadi, Krishna, Cauvery, and Luni are the 13 rivers.

The DPR on river revitalisation is based on work completed under the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) in 2015-16.
They are proposed under four major components:
- Forestry intervention implementation.
- Improving knowledge management and building national capacity.
- The replication of successful models is scaled up during the maintenance phase.
- Coordination at the national level for forestry interventions and river conservation.
It focuses on recognising that the developing water issue results from river ecological degradation.
To achieve the wide objectives of ‘Aviral Dhara’ (uninterrupted flow), ‘Nirmal Dhara’ (clean water), and environmental rejuvenation, the project took a multi-scale, multi-stakeholder, multidisciplinary, and holistic approach.

Afforestation on river banks leads to increased green cover.
Measures to contain soil erosion.
Recharge the groundwater table.
Sequester carbon dioxide
Catchment area treatment
Ecological restoration,
Moisture conservation
Livelihood improvement and income generation.
Ecotourism by developing riverfront
Eco-parks and bringing awareness amongst the masses to improve water quality and river flow.

Rhine River
- The Rhine River in Europe was formerly heavily polluted.
- Thanks to a large clean-up operation, it has become a dynamic and thriving environment.
Singapore River Clean-up
- Another good example of a river rejuvenation project is the Singapore River Clean-up.
- The project entailed cleaning up the heavily filthy river, making it a major tourist attraction and a cultural and social activity centre.
Thames River Restoration
- The Thames River Restoration project in London, UK, has restored the river’s ecology and established new wildlife habitats.
Ganga Action Plan
- The Ganga Action Plan is an ongoing effort in India to clean up and revitalise the heavily polluted Ganga River.
- The project includes a variety of interventions.
- It includes the construction of sewage treatment plants, the establishment of green belts along riverbanks, and the promotion of environmentally beneficial activities.

Freshwater supplies are rapidly diminishing, adding to the growing water issue.
The main issue to be addressed nationally is the diminishing and degradation of river ecosystems to achieve environmental conservation, climate change, and sustainable development goals.
Climate changes, risks of plantation method failure, erroneous execution, and other factors are key hurdles to the River Rejuvenation DPR’s success.
To reduce the risk of failure, the affected departments should ensure that full prior knowledge is obtained before implementation.

Pic Courtesy: The Hindu

Content Source: The Hindu