Essay on dying river of jharkhand in 200 word
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Living Rivers, Dying Rivers, as the title suggests, deals with the condition of rivers in India. They are the life giving force to the people of this vast country. Rivers concerns all and every reader will find something of interest in the book. The book also takes into account the condition of the tributaries of the rivers. They are no less important for the ecology and sustenance of the living creatures. Rivers have also been worshipped by those who still depend on agriculture for their livelihood. But the irony lies in the fact that it is their governments that have done the maximum damage to the rivers. Although some consciousness about the environment has arisen among the public, most of the rivers in India are in a deplorable state.
The book is a collection of papers which were presented in a seminar. It also includes contributions of academics and scholars from various disciplines.Through a mix of data, images and simple examples the essays help us understand the alarming state of the rivers in our country. Using different approaches, all the writers try to point out the terrible transformation that has come over the rivers in the recent years. Even the rivers that come close to the category of the 'living' do not put the experts at ease.
Not just the rivers, but the states through which they flow have also been taken into consideration, thus making the book more appealing to the readers who might lose interest in the nitty-gritty of the scholarly discussion. The book is based on the interesting idea of 'an imaginary journey', which begins with the river of the capital, Yamuna, the largest tributary of the Ganga, with its source at the Yamunotri glacier. It then takes up river Ganga, and then proceeds to river Indus before turning eastward towards the Brahmaputra. The rivers of the northeast are then dealt with before examining the poor state of the rivers in Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The journey then leads the readers to the west coast, covering the rivers flowing through Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Gujarat. The readers can choose the river of his choice and get all the information he might be looking for.
The factors and the 'diversity of ways' in which a river may be called either healthy or sick is also focused upon. Taking the cue from the image of 'living' and 'dying', many of the essays evoke the metaphor of the river as a living organism. One essay compares a river to a tree with its branches and roots. Hence, implying that unless all parts are healthy a river cannot be considered as completely healthy. Through this journey readers also get a glimpse of the ways rivers affect lives.
Keeping with the metaphor of the river as a living organism, the Yamuna is said to have been deprived of its 'lifeblood' and so are its tributaries. The Ganga, is the lifeline of crores of people. It is also worshipped and believed to possess medicinal properties. According to the World Wildlife Fund report, the Ganga is amongst the 10 most endangered rivers of the world. Jhelum is also fast degrading. Even the rivers of the northeast, which pass through urban areas, are being adversely affected by chemical waste.
The rivers are provided with a historical perspective and supplemented with relevant data. Also the book includes analyses of present-day problems, such as the diversion of waters, construction of dams, hydroelectric projects and many more. These help the readers understand the root of the problems and arrive at ways to tackle them.
A scholar makes an interesting point when he talks about the inherent flaw that lies in the idea of construction of embankments. They not only harm the rivers, but also the lives of people by restricting the entry of waters of the tributaries and flood waters into the river. Another significant point that these essays make is about the relationship of poverty with environmental degradation. For instance, the benefits of dams, whatever little, are reaped only by the people of the plains and the tribal people often have to suffer. A few of the essays in the book also deal with regulations and ways of understanding rivers and water bodies.
The essays are a mix of the scholarly and the simple. The information makes us aware and forces us to contemplate about the impending disaster. It is the blend of the descriptive and the analytical that makes the book interesting. The thoughtful arguments of the essays evoke a sense of disquiet and make the readers aware of the imminent danger which he might believe does not affect him. These facts concern the existence of everyone. It is more important for the men at the helm of affairs of the country to take note before it is too late. After all, the condition of rivers is inextricably linked with the life and death of man himself.
The basin and its water resources
A 395 km-long seasonal river, Subarnarekha is the smallest of India’s inter-state river basins with a basin area of 18,951 sqkm. It originates 15 kms south of Ranchi on Chhotanagpur plateau. The main river passes through Ranchi, Seraikela-Kharsawan, East Singhbhum, Paschim Medinipur and Balasore districts. Just 50 kms from its point of origin lies the 35.5 m-high Getalsud dam, a multipurpose project completed in 1971. Now, the river serves as a source for municipal water supply and industries, apart from housing a hydel project in Ranchi.
Mining the resources
Subarnarekha is known for its water of a golden hue. Legend has it that traces of gold were present at its point of origin at Piska. Scientists, however, say that the river’s golden colour is the result of its proximity to rich ore deposits in the lateritic rocks in the area. This unique characteristic of the river is also its curse since large-scale mining is found to be slowly killing the river.
The drains of Jamshedpur, the largest city in the basin, directly fall into the river. They contain untreated solid wastes. As per a study by Bhuyan et al, (4) the presence of faecal coliform in Subarnarekha basin is significant… the poor water quality of Baridhi Nallah is due to the improper treatment of the effluents from the Jamshedpur steel plant. Tata Steel, however, refutes this. .