Ganga rejuvenation

Best practices have been documented for the rejuvenation of Ganga river, with project completion deadline of 2030. The mega project, across India’s largest river, starts from the Hindon basin.

Over the course of past year, proposals from Non-Governmental-Organizations (GOs), industries, universities, farmers and local authorities have been gathered to jointly clean the river, said Dr. Veena Khanduri, Executive Secretary, India Water Partnership (IWP).

“Initial estimates indicate it will require a package of measures and resources in the urban, industrial, agricultural and environmental sectors to rejuvenate the river,” said Dr Khanduri.

IWP has formed a partnership with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), 2030 Water Resources Group (2030 WRG) Jal Jan Jodo Abhiyan, Millennium Alliance and the Government of Netherlands.

A symposium and exhibition on ‘Impact Driven Partnerships for Ganga Tributary Rejuvenation – Replicating and scaling up success stories from the participatory Hindon Basin approach’ held at FICCI on November 23, 2016.

“The symposium showcased multi-stakeholder approaches to rejuvenate part of the Ganga River Basin based on a tributary approach, with a particular focus on the Hindon River in Uttar Pradesh, one of the most polluting tributaries of the Ganga”, said Anders Berntell, Executive Director, 2030 WRG.

The Hindon initiative is building a model for participatory and integrated water resources management that can be replicated across other tributaries in the Ganga basin.

Nirankar Saxena, Senior Director, FICCI and Head, Millennium Alliance said the Alliance will provide seed funding for innovative businesses with social and environmental impact for the Hindon and other river basins under a targeted call for “River Rejuvenation as part of our Water & Sanitation focus area.”

Efforts are underway, to mobilize additional resources from government, private sector and donors to help rejuvenate the river to reach a level suitable for bathing by 2030.

It is hoped that this Hindon model will be replicated across other tributaries in the Ganga basin and beyond through multi-stakeholder partnerships and collective action.

The partnership is working with the divisional administration, local industry representatives, and civil society; encouraging stakeholders to collectively identify opportunities and solutions to water challenges.

“FICCI, along with partners, is playing a critical role in mobilizing global and local expertise to address industrial and municipal waste water treatment, critical to addressing India’s water and sanitation challenges today” Naina Lal Kidwai, Chairman, FICCI Water Mission, told the symposium.

The Hindon River Rejuvenation Partnership is a transformational program with significant community involvement.

The Hindon basin has a population of about 10 million people. The program was initiated in 2015 by a civil society movement led by Jal Jan Jodo Abhiyan under the leadership of Rajendra Singh, Stockholm Water Prize Laureate. fii-news.com