years ago these three huge rivers with
This
vast water used to flow across the Sahara
communities to take up sustainable
desert to the Mediterranean and that our
economic activities and for the overall
ancestors could have walked alongside
development in Amlasole, Amjhrna,
them.
Kankrajhar, etc., in Binpur II Block,
When we look our present large rivers
West Medinipur district, West Bengal.
full with human habitats, large cities and
This initiative is a collaborative effort of
numerous villages, we do not know what
the
future is waiting for them and our
autonomous
descendent.
research,
will
enable
Bose
the
local
Institute,
Kolkata,
Institute
for
financed
by
tribal
an
scientific
Ministry
of
Science and Technology, Dept. of
NEWS
Science and Technology, Govt. of India,
IRBMS initiative in the upper
Amlasole Birsha Munda Gramunnayon
catchment of Subarnarekha River.
Committee, a local CBO, Catalyst, an
Integrated River Basin Management
NGO working in this area and IRBMS.
Society is engaged in a number of
Extinction of Biodiversity in the
livelihood activities in the forest based
Chandrabhaga river
land for overall development for the
The
tribal communities in Amlasole village,
Rivers are two important tributaries
West Medinipur district, West Bengal.
within the Mayurakshi basin. Green
The work involves livelihood training,
activist Subhas Datta had moved a
skill upgradation program in sericulture,
petition before the National Green
vermiculture,
mushroom
Tribunal, Eastern Zone Bench, pointing
cultivation, bee keeping, fishery, animal
out to the pollution caused to these rivers
and bird rearing, pond excavation, rain
due to overflow from the fly-ash pond of
water harvesting etc. This measure is to
Bakreswar
protect the upper catchment of Karsoti
(BKTPP). The bench had in turn sought
river, a tributary of Subarnarekha, from
a report from Dr. Kalyan Rudra,
deforestation.
Chairman,
agriculture,
Chandrabhaga
and
Thermal
West
Bakreswar
Power
Bengal
Plant
Pollution
2
Integrated River Basin Management Society