Most Indian languages have a saying which goes something like: “Do not go looking for a river’s origin or a Rishi’s lineage”. I thought this was because these stories become eclectic and frankly scandalizing as we trace them. But while looking at several origins of River Godavari on the Brahmagiri Mountain, I realized that the meaning can be much simpler (or much complicated): It is difficult to decide on a single origin for a river.
Continue reading “उगम: Story of Godavari and Vaitarna’s Origin”Tag: Vaitarna
Vaitarna’s Community-Conserved Tilase Fish Sanctuary needs protection
When I first heard about a beautiful fish sanctuary right off the highway on Vaitarna river in Maharashtra, I was skeptical. Vaitarna river, despite flowing through dense Western Ghats forests, is highly polluted and encroached upon as it enters the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Vaitarna river stretch off a highway is not the most idyllic of spots for a thriving fish sanctuary. But I was spectacularly wrong.
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Poster child for Interlinking follies: Damanganga-Vaitarna-Godavari project
Pictures above have been taken five days apart. One would think River Interlinking entails transferring water from the bountiful right to thirsty left. In case of Damanganga-Vaitarna-Godavari Link, it means the opposite: transferring water from dry Mokhada to the verdant Devnadi in Sinnar. Like many ILR projects, it highlights the farce that is “surplus” and “deficit” basins. More rainfall does not secure water access, nor does moderate rainfall negate it.
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Maharashtra Rivers Profile
Above: Major River Basins of Maharashtra Source: MWRRA
Major Issues faced by Rivers of Maharashtra include complete lack of governance geared towards protecting rivers as ecological systems, unjustifiable dam projects blocking most of the rivers of the state without even comparable benefits, increasing water conflicts, depleting groundwater levels which affect base flow of the rivers, catchment degradation, climate change induced changes in river hydrology, repeated droughts and increasing levels of pollution.
SANDRP 