3.5. ROLE OF RIVERS IN THE ECONOMY

Rivers have been of fundamental importance throughout human history. Water from rivers is a basic natural resource, essential for various human activities. Therefore, riverbanks have attracted settlers from ancient times. These settlements have now become big cities.

Rivers are vital to human life and development. They provide freshwater, which is essential for drinking, agriculture, and industry. Throughout history, civilizations have thrived along riverbanks because these areas offer fertile land and easy transportation. As people settled near rivers, towns and cities grew up around these vital waterways, facilitating trade and cultural exchange.

Think of ancient river civilizations like those along the Nile or the Indus River. The Egyptians built their society around the Nile because it provided them with water, fish, and fertile land for crops, allowing them to create one of the greatest ancient civilizations.

Using rivers for irrigation, navigation, hydro-power generation is of special significance — particularly to a country like India, where agriculture is the major source of livelihood for the majority of its population.

In India, rivers are crucial for agriculture, which employs a large portion of the population. Farmers use rivers for irrigation to ensure their crops receive sufficient water, especially during dry seasons. Additionally, rivers can serve as transportation routes for goods, enabling trade. They are also harnessed to generate hydroelectric power, which is a major source of energy in many parts of the country.

Consider the case of the Ganges River in India. It not only supports the agricultural systems in the region around it but also serves as a transportation route for goods. Furthermore, dams built on rivers like the Ganga help generate electricity, providing power for homes and industries.

The growing domestic, municipal, industrial and agricultural demand for water from rivers naturally affects the quality of water. As a result, more water is being drained out of the rivers reducing their volume. On the other hand, a heavy load of untreated sewage and industrial effluents are emptied into the rivers. This affects not only the quality of water but also the self-cleansing capacity of the river.

As rivers are heavily utilized, their water quality deteriorates due to pollution. Urbanization and industrialization lead to an increase in sewage and waste being dumped into rivers, which reduces their capacity to clean themselves naturally. This pollution not only harms the ecosystems that depend on these rivers but also poses health risks to people who rely on river water for drinking and bathing.

Imagine a crowded kitchen sink. If too many dishes are crammed into it without being cleaned, the water becomes dirty and stagnant. Similarly, when we overload rivers with waste, they can’t function properly, leading to pollution that affects everyone around.

Concern over rising pollution in our rivers led to the launching of various action plans to clean the rivers. The river cleaning programme in the country was initiated with the launching of the Ganga Action Plan (GAP) in 1985. The Ganga Action Plan was expanded to cover other rivers under the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) in 1995.

To combat the issue of pollution, various action plans have been implemented. The Ganga Action Plan was one of the first significant initiatives aimed at reducing pollution in the Ganges River. Following its successes and challenges, the plan was expanded into the National River Conservation Plan, which aims to clean and preserve not only the Ganges but other important rivers across India.

Consider this like a community setup to clean up a local park. If one area of the park is consistently littered, community members might form a committee to pick up trash and create rules for keeping it clean. Similarly, conservation plans aim for systematic cleanup and prevention of pollution in rivers.

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