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Category: ENVIRONMENT

Published: 25 March 2016

• Everyone should contribute his bit in protecting River Tawi: Sharma

JAMMU: Highlighting the need to save water bodies in Jammu and Kashmir, Tawi Andolan has said everyone should contribute his bit in protecting them. We should bring awakening and inculcate the spirit of saving these precious bodies from pollution, said Advocate Chander Mohan Sharma, Convener, Tawi Andolan and Namami Gange Project. People in Jammu and Kashmir are bestowed with gifts like rivers, lakes, mountains and pastures; he said and asked the people to play their role in protecting them.

Addressing a meeting of activists ahead of Navratras celebration in Jammu, Advocate Chander Mohan Sharma, Convener, Tawi Andolan and Namami Gange Project, said that the Tawi River is the main river, which flows through Jammu city and has its name attached to the inception of the city. Although the Tawi enhances the beauty of Jammu, the river itself has been polluted by ill usage. The main concern now is to clean up the river and give back to it its original crystal clear look. “Tawi is lifeline of people of Jammu region and is regarded as Surajputri (Goddess). Beside this, the river has got tremendous potential of attracting tourists and pilgrims”, Sharma maintained.

Adding further Sharma said that activists this time will use diyas made of floor so that these floor light pots when immersed in the river waters after their uses could be eaten up by fishes and other water animals. During auspicious praying for heart's yearnings to God s like Kuldevta, Sankashti Ganesh, Kshetrapal, Gauri Ganesh etc, light lamps made with floor is lighted, he favoured.

Among others present were Subash Gupta, Co-Convenor, Shush Pal Singh, Mrs Rekha Mahajan, Abhishek Sharma, Girish Sharma, Surinder Sharma, Prof Rajinder Mishra, Dr Prem Sharma, JK Chopra, Ravi Sharma and Raj Kumar.

Expressing disappointment Sharma stated that the Tawi River was famous for Trout Fish but with passage of time they have got extinct and the quality of water has been so much degraded that it is not suitable for bathing. In earlier days, the river was the sole source of potable water supply to the town. The water pollution adversely changes the quality and disturbs the balance of ecosystem. In order to keep the Tawi clean, it is the best time to start work like the Yamuna action plan with the help of National River Conservation Project by taking up pollution abatement work.

The primary action that must be taken is checking the flow and naturalness of the water that flows in the river. It is also necessary to check the flow to sustain the in-stream functions of a river. Though development cannot be stopped, a proper planning method will always be beneficial in preserving the nature as well as developing the country, Sharma added. So now it is high time that we realize the importance of these rivers and take up adequate steps at whatever level we can, so that the problem comes to an end as soon as possible. It is high time we initiate and put in place a scientific protocol centered on the protection of our rivers through scientific practices.

He suggested remedial measures to keep River Tawi neat and clean which includes  use of harmful insecticides and fertilizers be reduced, proper channelization for sewerage treatment plan to improve the quality of discharge, imposing strict ban on polythene carry bags as they are contributing to the pollution of the river and other water bodies, the general public has to be made aware of the need to keep the river clean, waste water from the city has to be treated before being released into the river.By recycling garbage and not littering, you can help prevent against trash ending up in waterways. You can also join a group that cleans up litter left by others. Whether you’re doing major litter cleanup by installing a litter trap in a river, or just collecting piece of garbage from a ditch, you can make major difference. The water problems we face are complex and urgent. The only way to create a healthier future is for everyone to do their part. We must use less water and save the sources of our water.

The function of a river is to nurture the life that depends on it (the flora and fauna) and to create the landscape. It is rivers that erode mountains and create land. The biodiversity and human cultures to a very large extent depend on the existence of a river. This water body in totality is more important than the water it carries, or the fish that swim in its water, or the sand that its floods bring down.Due to the spiritual and cultural importance of rivers, the largest basin and the existence of aquatic flora and fauna degrade. Things have come to such a pass that the River Tawi water is not only fit for drinking and bathing but has become unusable even for agricultural purposes. The inhabitants living close to the bank of the river depend on these rivers for their existence. Even the rural and tribal communities’ lifestyles are so closely interlinked with the rivers that degradation of the rivers leads to jeopardizing of their existence, Sharma advocated.