In the final session of India Rivers Week on Nov 27, 2022 afternoon, the jury of the India Rivers Forum announced the Bhagirath Prayas Samman (BPS) awards for exemplary river conservation work to SCOPE (Kolkata) in Organisation category for work related to East Kolkata Wetlands and to Prof Venkatesh Dutta in individual category for work related to Gomti river in Uttar Pradesh. The Anupam Mishra Medal 2022 for the exemplary media work on rivers was given to Dheeraj Mishra for his extensive river focussed work over the years. Chief Guest Justice (Retd) Madan Lokur of Supreme Court of India and all the attendees of India Rivers Forum congratulated the award winners for well-deserved recognition. Siddhart Agarwal conducted the award ceremony on behalf of IRF and Prof Amita Baviskar chaired the entire final session of IRF 2022.
Continue reading “India Rivers Forum Jury announces Bhagirath Prayas Samman 2022 awards to SCOPE (Kol) & Venkatesh Dutta; Anupam Mishra Medal 2022 to Dheeraj Mishra”Tag: Bhagirath Prayas Samman
DRP NB 281122: Justice Lokur at IRW 2022: We need to be vocally more aggressive to make a difference
DRP NB 281122: Justice Lokur at IRW 2022: We need to be vocally more aggressive to make a difference
In his key note address at the final session of India Rivers Week 2022, Justice Madan Lokur, former judge of Supreme Court of India said, “Time has come we need to be a little more active and aggressive vocally to ensure that we are listened to about the problems we all are facing. Farmers struggle, the CAA amendment etc. are good examples. There is need for a political will to bring about any change. How do we generate such a political will is the issue.”
Among other messages Justice Lokur gave in his key note address at the final session of India Rivers Week 2022 on Nov 27, 2022 included: “Rivers belong to all, not a select few… We need to ensure that we are effective in our work, our messages.”
The two day, five session India Rivers Week 2022 function focused on use of rivers as waterways, organized in collaboration between India Rivers Forum (IRF is constituted by ten organizations now) and Manthan Adhyayan Kendra ended on Nov 27, 2022. The IRW 2022 sessions had a number of highlights, we will try to bring them to you in separate articles.
Continue reading “DRP NB 281122: Justice Lokur at IRW 2022: We need to be vocally more aggressive to make a difference”
PRESS NOTE: India Rivers Week 2021 concludes with a pledge to work for fish, fishers and healthy rivers
Activist Raj Kumar Sinha and Affected Citizens of Teesta awarded the Bhagirath Prayas Samman
Anupam Mishra Memorial Medal conferred upon journalists Abhay Mishra and Athar Parvaiz
India, November 27, 2021
India Rivers Week 2021 concluded today with a pledge to work towards protection of inland fisheries, fishers and rivers for their conservation and rejuvenation. The annual event, organised by the India Rivers Forum (IRF) since 2014, saw bureaucrats, activists, academicians and community leaders participating in five riveting virtual sessions.
The program started on November 8 with an inaugural event focused on impacts of river pollution on fisheries and fishers followed by subsequent sessions on fragmented rivers (dams, barrages and embankments), the need for better science, data and advocacy, the changing political economy of riverine fisheries and finally the national event on issues around governance.
Continue reading “PRESS NOTE: India Rivers Week 2021 concludes with a pledge to work for fish, fishers and healthy rivers”
India Rivers Week 2020: Key Highlights
Chaired by Justice (Retd) Madan Lokur of Supreme Court of India, the India Rivers Week (IRW) 2020[i] ended at a well attended National Dialogue on River Sand Mining, and giving away of Bhagirath Prayas Samman (BPS) and Anupam Mishra Memorial (AMM) Medal on Nov 28, 2020. This was culmination of the process that started with the North India River Sand Mining Dialogue on Oct 31, 2020[ii] and dialogues in South Zone[iii], West Zone[iv] and East Zone[v] in the following weeks. Several hundred people participated in the regional dialogues and the recordings continue to be watched by many more on Facebook live and youtube.
Continue reading “India Rivers Week 2020: Key Highlights”
India Rivers Day 2019: Mustaqueem Mallah Awarded Bhagrirath Prayas Samman
For Mustaqueem Mallah, restoration of Katha River is sole aim of his life. And the 30 years old has been making steady and solid efforts to achieve this for past over 8 years. Belonging himself to Mallah (boatman) community, Mustaqueem has been witnessing the degradation of Yamuna river, flowing close to his village Ramra in Kairana block of Shamli district, Uttar Pradesh.
“Loving rivers is my religion”, says Mustaqueem who has formed the Kevat Mallah Ekta Samiti to raise the issues of fishermen, boatmen and riverbed farmers the river dependent communities who have been suffering adversely due to absence of flows in Yamuna river for most months of a year.
Continue reading “India Rivers Day 2019: Mustaqueem Mallah Awarded Bhagrirath Prayas Samman”
Uffrenkhal’s Legacy of Recharge Pits Ensures Water Security
Inspiring tale of three villages in Thalisain tehsil (Pouri Garhwal district, Uttarakhand) which have been putting in sustained efforts for years in creating recharge pits, plantation and forest protection that has ultimately resulted in revival of water sources and Gadganga a small stream part of East Nayaar River basin. Continue reading “Uffrenkhal’s Legacy of Recharge Pits Ensures Water Security”
Positive Rivers Stories 2017: Citizens Reconnecting with Rivers
On occasion of International Day of Action for Rivers 14 March 2018, SANDRP presents a compilation of positive rivers stories that took place in the year 2017. The report highlights the exemplary rivers restoration work done by communities, village Panchayats. It also attempts to acknowledge remarkable on going protests and struggle by fisherfolks, villagers and river communities in rural areas to protect the lifelines from unsustainable development projects. The report also presents the interesting “River Marches” where citizens have come forward to take actions against the threats on rivers in Urban areas and encouraging “River Walks” helping citizens rediscover their bond with RIVERS. Continue reading “Positive Rivers Stories 2017: Citizens Reconnecting with Rivers”
Kerala Rivers Review 2017 : Government Efforts Fail To Protect Rivers
The fifth rivers’ review highlights status of Kerala rivers in the year 2017.
Rivers Pollution and Government Actions
Govt mulls severe punishment for agents of water pollution The state government on Feb. 2017 signaled its intentions to zero in on agents of pollution in water resources. The Pollution Control Board and Revenue Department officers swooped down on a private resort in Chinnakkanal, Idukki, for allegedly diverting sewage into a potable water source. Water Resources Minister Mathew T Thomas stated that his department has proposed amendments to the Kerala Irrigation and Water Conservation Act, 2003, to make punishments more severe. He also said that the govt was planning to have harsher measures in place to discourage people from polluting rivers and water bodies.http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2017/feb/14/kerala-government-mulls-severe-punishment-for-agents-of-water-pollution-1570357–1.html (The New Indian Express, 14 Feb. 2017)
The state also planned to enact strong legislation for the conservation of rivers. http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/thiruvananthapuram/2017/sep/06/state-to-frame-strong-law-for-river-protection-1653026.html(The New Indian Express, 6 Sept. 2017)
Continue reading “Kerala Rivers Review 2017 : Government Efforts Fail To Protect Rivers”
Urban Rivers: Bandi, Rajasthan
Guest blog by Manu Moudgil
This story of Bandi River from Rajasthan is sixth in the series of online stories of urban rivers from across India. Please share your feedback and provide us with suggestions (read more in appendix). If you have any urban river stories or images that you might want to share, please send them to ht.sandrp@gmail.com and asid@veditum.org.
Remembering Latha
It took some time to write. Latha chechi and me talked just 4 days before she passed away on Nov 16, 2017. As usual, it was about when we will meet next and go to Athirappilly Falls and travel to the river together. Her voice was light, it had a surreal gentleness. We agreed on everything, which was rare. After just a few minutes, Unni gently took the phone from her and told me she needed to sleep. It just didn’t feel right.
We first met virtually about 10 years back, discussing rivers and forests and then, through her initiative, came together to organize the first civil society workshop on Environmental Flows in January 2009 with SANDRP. Since then, Latha Chechi has been a bubbling, enthusiastic and wise constant. We worked on several submissions together, discussed strategies and ideas, eating each other’s heads about what worked and what can work and always, I was always taken aback by her unmatched way of linking issues.
She told me, “You need one particular river. Work on all the rivers of world, but have that one river to go back to.” Continue reading “Remembering Latha”
SANDRP 