Varanasi: A high powered independent monitoring committee has recently submitted an action plan for rejuvenation and restoration of Varuna and Assi rivers in Varanasi under the aegis of National Green Tribunal.NGT) count.
The principal bench of the NGT comprising Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, Justice Sudhir Agrawal, Justice M. Satyanarayana, Justice Brijesh Sethi and expert member Dr. Nagin Nanda had passed the order on June 17 and constituted a committee to look into the issue of pollution in rivers. did. Varuna and Assi from discharge of untreated sewage and unauthorized constructions in Varanasi.
The issue was raised by local advocate Saurabh Tiwari. The committee included officials from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB), National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and District Magistrate of Varanasi.
The committee was to prepare a report which included Assi, water quality of Varuna, action taken on diversion and treatment of sewage, water quality upstream and downstream of the confluence of Assi and Varuna for river Ganga, demarcation of flood plain may involve. According to Assi, the regions of Varuna and Ganga The River Ganges (Revival, Protection and Management) Authority Order, 2016.
Tiwari said that the committee submitted its report on Wednesday. The committee identified the issues to be addressed and potential gap areas in the revised action plan. According to the report, encroachment due to unauthorized constructions is a relevant issue especially for Assi River and such constructions should be removed before laying interceptor sewers or implementing any kind of intervention.
However, it was recommended that a survey may be conducted to understand the level of existing encroachments in the catchment area of both the rivers.
The problem of pollution in Varuna and Assi rivers appears to be more due to sewage than industrial pollution. To understand the state-of-the-art pollution status of the entire stretch of both rivers, pollution mapping can be conducted to identify polluting sources such as small industry clusters, excess drains as well as non-conventional treatment (such as built wetlands, waste stabilization ponds, bio and phytoremediation) that can replace STP.
The present flow of Assi River is estimated to be around 100 MLD. The recently constructed STP at Ramanna has a treatment capacity of 50 MLD which was mostly based on earlier flow measurement of Assi river. In the present scenario, this healing capacity is insufficient. Therefore, appropriate measures should be taken to deal with the problem of under-treatment.
The pollution of Varuna river water in this section is negligible and does not require any major intervention. The only problem that appears in this section is that a significant part of the original (a wetland) is either under cultivation/agricultural land, paddy land as well as fallow land, which has reduced not only land-use but also land cover. has changed. Area. This wetland also receives runoff from large agricultural areas and is highly siltified. Due to this the river is not able to flow from its point of origin.
The committee recommended that the most appropriate intervention is to acquire cultivated land and convert it back into a wetland as well as a biodiversity park. In addition, there are other wetlands located downstream (about 60 km from the source) and in unpolluted parts of the river, where siltation can be carried out to an appropriate depth (basic bed level). The silt material can be used to create natural embankments without disrupting the natural drainage pattern of the stream. These wetlands get water from the catchment areas and the river gets food.
It was recognized that the Assi River once originated from Kardameshwar Kund near Kardameshwar Mahadev Temple through an outlet in the southeast corner. Continuous illegal construction along the river course and encroachment on the river course, obstructing the flow of the river.
Due to this blockage of the river course, the flow of waste water back to Kardameshwar Kund caused pollution of the pool. So, around 10-15 years ago, the local people with the help of the administration sealed the outlet of Kardameshwar Kund, which caused a change in the origin of the river Assi and ultimately affected the flow and pollution conditions of the river.
The river is trained by passing through the embankments of the RCC wall in the encroached areas. Throughout the course of the river, untreated wastewater enters the river indiscriminately increasing the pollution load of the river, however, the exact number of inlets that discharge raw sewage and/or domestic wastewater is difficult to ascertain.
It is recommended that the first step towards the rejuvenation of this stretch of river Assi should be the removal of encroachments (wherever necessary and possible) through coordinated action by the State and District Administrations.
The principal bench of the NGT comprising Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, Justice Sudhir Agrawal, Justice M. Satyanarayana, Justice Brijesh Sethi and expert member Dr. Nagin Nanda had passed the order on June 17 and constituted a committee to look into the issue of pollution in rivers. did. Varuna and Assi from discharge of untreated sewage and unauthorized constructions in Varanasi.
The issue was raised by local advocate Saurabh Tiwari. The committee included officials from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB), National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and District Magistrate of Varanasi.
The committee was to prepare a report which included Assi, water quality of Varuna, action taken on diversion and treatment of sewage, water quality upstream and downstream of the confluence of Assi and Varuna for river Ganga, demarcation of flood plain may involve. According to Assi, the regions of Varuna and Ganga The River Ganges (Revival, Protection and Management) Authority Order, 2016.
Tiwari said that the committee submitted its report on Wednesday. The committee identified the issues to be addressed and potential gap areas in the revised action plan. According to the report, encroachment due to unauthorized constructions is a relevant issue especially for Assi River and such constructions should be removed before laying interceptor sewers or implementing any kind of intervention.
However, it was recommended that a survey may be conducted to understand the level of existing encroachments in the catchment area of both the rivers.
The problem of pollution in Varuna and Assi rivers appears to be more due to sewage than industrial pollution. To understand the state-of-the-art pollution status of the entire stretch of both rivers, pollution mapping can be conducted to identify polluting sources such as small industry clusters, excess drains as well as non-conventional treatment (such as built wetlands, waste stabilization ponds, bio and phytoremediation) that can replace STP.
The present flow of Assi River is estimated to be around 100 MLD. The recently constructed STP at Ramanna has a treatment capacity of 50 MLD which was mostly based on earlier flow measurement of Assi river. In the present scenario, this healing capacity is insufficient. Therefore, appropriate measures should be taken to deal with the problem of under-treatment.
The pollution of Varuna river water in this section is negligible and does not require any major intervention. The only problem that appears in this section is that a significant part of the original (a wetland) is either under cultivation/agricultural land, paddy land as well as fallow land, which has reduced not only land-use but also land cover. has changed. Area. This wetland also receives runoff from large agricultural areas and is highly siltified. Due to this the river is not able to flow from its point of origin.
The committee recommended that the most appropriate intervention is to acquire cultivated land and convert it back into a wetland as well as a biodiversity park. In addition, there are other wetlands located downstream (about 60 km from the source) and in unpolluted parts of the river, where siltation can be carried out to an appropriate depth (basic bed level). The silt material can be used to create natural embankments without disrupting the natural drainage pattern of the stream. These wetlands get water from the catchment areas and the river gets food.
It was recognized that the Assi River once originated from Kardameshwar Kund near Kardameshwar Mahadev Temple through an outlet in the southeast corner. Continuous illegal construction along the river course and encroachment on the river course, obstructing the flow of the river.
Due to this blockage of the river course, the flow of waste water back to Kardameshwar Kund caused pollution of the pool. So, around 10-15 years ago, the local people with the help of the administration sealed the outlet of Kardameshwar Kund, which caused a change in the origin of the river Assi and ultimately affected the flow and pollution conditions of the river.
The river is trained by passing through the embankments of the RCC wall in the encroached areas. Throughout the course of the river, untreated wastewater enters the river indiscriminately increasing the pollution load of the river, however, the exact number of inlets that discharge raw sewage and/or domestic wastewater is difficult to ascertain.
It is recommended that the first step towards the rejuvenation of this stretch of river Assi should be the removal of encroachments (wherever necessary and possible) through coordinated action by the State and District Administrations.
.