researchers, government bodies, etc., was
out shortly with a Delhi Declaration on
jointly organized by WWF India, INTACH,
Rivers which will not only reflect the
SANDRP, Toxics Link and PEACE Institute
deliberations, but also the way forward for
Charitable
governance and sustainable management of
Trust.
Over
150
delegates
participated the meet from all over the
our rivers.
country. Theme of the Week was “Rivers in
(Source: Dams Rivers and People Vol 12
Crisis” and four days of deliberations saw
Issue;10-11 Nov. Dec 2014)
intense discussions in the groups on topics
RIVERS OF INDIA
ranging from dangers of interlinking rivers,
to river restoration to legal framework for
river protection to dam decommissioning.
Rivers Of Bihar & Jharkhand
The Conference was inaugurated by a
keynote delivered by Shri Ramaswamy Iyer,
while Shri Jairam Ramesh, former Union
Minister of Environment and Forest & Rural
Development was the Chief Guest at the
inaugural session. The IRW also saw the
establishment of Bhagirath Prayas Samman:
Recognition of Herculean Efforts towards
saving Rivers. The First Bhagirath Prayas
Samman were presented to three initiatives:
one organizational and two individual. The
Koel Karo Jan Sangathan, Dr. Latha
Anantha and Akhil Gogoi were the first
recipients of the award. Sushri Uma Bharti,
Minister for Water Resources, delivered the
valedictory address in which she stressed the
centrality of the theme and committed
before the gathering that Government will
not undertake Interlinking of rivers if the
ecological impacts of the project are
River Hinglo
Hinglo is a tributary of the Ajay river in
Jharkhand & West Bengal. It has its source
in the Santhal Parganas, runs parallel to the
Ajay river for same distance and flows into
it a little after Bhimgarh. It has a watershed
area of 2009 ha. A dam across the Hinglo
provides irrigation in the areas between the
Ajay & the Kopai, but environmentalists
also blame the dam for causing flood.
Hinglo
Dam has a capacity of 17,102,000
cu. m. However, as a result of improper
management of water resources for canal
irrigation, the bed of the river has risen and
the canals have become derelict. Moreover,
the dam is silted up. During the last phase of
the monsoon season when extensive rainfall
occurs, the dam cannot take in all the water
and much water was released. This surplus
voluminous water overflows the bank of the
negative. The India Rivers Week will come
4
Integrated River Basin Management Society