Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) on Rejuvenation of Major Rivers

In News 

• Recently, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change released Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) on rejuvenation of thirteen major rivers through forestry interventions.

Image Courtesy: TOI

About Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) 

• The DPRs were funded by National Afforestation & Eco-development Board, (MoEF&CC) and prepared by Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education (ICFRE), Dehradun. 
• These DPRs will create a target of green cover expansion for upcoming 10 years and 20 years, then the future generations will get a ‘Green India’ through the ‘Van Bhagidari and Jan Bhagidari’ of the current generation. 
• The DPRs are expected to be executed through the State Forest Departments as nodal departments and with convergence of schemes of other line departments in the states towards the activities proposed in the DPRs and funding support from the Government of India. 
• The thirteen rivers for which the DPRs are released are Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, Sutlej, Yamuna, Brahmaputra, Luni, Narmada, Godavari, Mahanadi, Krishna, and Cauvery. 
  • The 13 rivers collectively cover a basin area of 18,90,110 sq. km. or about 57.45% of the geographical area. Their length including 202 tributaries within the delineated surroundings is 42,830 km.

• The rivers along with their tributaries are proposed for forestry interventions in the riverscape under different landscapes namely natural landscape, agricultural landscape and urban landscape. 

• The different models of forestry plantations including timber species, medicinal plants, grasses, shrubs and fuel fodder and fruit trees are aimed to augment water, ground water recharge and contain erosion. 

• Focused areas: 
  • The DPRs focus on protection, afforestation, catchment treatment, ecological restoration, moisture conservation, livelihood improvement, income generation, ecotourism by developing river fronts, eco-parks and bringing awareness amongst the masses.
  • Research and monitoring have also been included as a component. 
  • Each DPR incorporates detailed geospatial analysis of the delineated Riverscape, exhaustive review on the river environment, factors responsible for the current state and prioritisation of areas using Remote sensing and GIS techniques along with field verification for proposed forestry interventions and other conservation measures through an extensive consultative process and designing and development of various treatment models for Natural, Agriculture & Urban landscape in each of the delineated riverscape. 

Expected Benefits 

• Forestry interventions are expected to increase the cumulative forest cover by 7,417.36 km2 across 13 riverscapes. 
• The proposed interventions would help to sequester 50.21 million tons CO2 equivalent in 10-year-old plantations and 74.76 million tons CO2 equivalent in 20-year-old plantations. 
• The proposed interventions in thirteen riverscapes would help in ground water recharge to the extent of 1,889.89 million cubic metres per year, and reduction in sedimentation to the tune of 64,83,114 cubic metres per year.  
• In addition, Rs. 449.01 crore is likely to be generated from expected non-timber and other forest produce. 
• It is also expected that the employment of 344 million man-days shall be generated through planned activities as provisioned in 13 DPRs. 
• The activities proposed in the DPRs will help achieve potential benefits of increasing the green cover, contain soil erosion, recharge water table and sequester carbon dioxide in addition to benefits in the form of non-timber forest produce.  
• These efforts would help India meet its international climate commitments of creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5 -3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030 under the Paris Agreement of the UNFCCC; restore 26 million hectares of degraded lands by 2030 and halt biodiversity loss by 2030 under CBD and Sustainable Development Goals.
• Other major benefits are 
  • Protection of natural resources & ecological restoration
  • Saving aquatic life
  • Treatment of catchment areas
  • Moisture conservation
  • Afforestation leading to less pollution
  • Promotion of ecotourism by developing river fronts, eco-parks etc.
  • Income generation for many and improved livelihood
  • Development of a solid River Rejuvenation Plan, paving way for treatment of other polluted rivers
  • Generating mass awareness through setting example and public participation

Challenges

• Growing water crisis on account of depleting fresh water resources especially due to shrinking and degradation of river ecosystems is a major impediment to achieving national goals pertaining to environment, conservation, climate change and sustainable development.

Way Forward

• Timely and effective implementation of the proposed forestry interventions as envisaged in DPRs of 13 major Indian Rivers is expected to significantly contribute towards improvement of terrestrial and aquatic biota, and livelihoods besides rejuvenation of the rivers in terms of Aviral Dhara, Nirmal Dhara besides Swachchh Kinara.
• The projects will alleviate the growing water stress and help achieve national goals related to climate change and sustainable development.
• There is a need to focus on balancing development with environmental sustainability.

Source:TH