In news-Recently, the Ministry of Jal Shakti & Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change have jointly released the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) on Rejuvenation of thirteen Major Rivers through Forestry Interventions.
About the project-
- The 13 rivers for which DPRs were released are Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, Sutlej, Yamuna, Brahmaputra, Luni, Narmada, Godavari, Mahanadi, Krishna, and Cauvery.
- The DPRs were funded by National Afforestation & Eco-development Board, (MoEF&CC) and prepared by Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education(ICFRE), Dehradun.
- The rivers identified for the project run through 24 states and two Union Territories and cover a total basin area of 18,90,110 sq. km that represents 57.45% of the geographical area of the country.
- The different models of forestry plantations including timber species, medicinal plants, grasses, shrubs and fuel fodder and fruit trees are aimed to augment water, ground water recharge and contain erosion.
- A total of 667 treatment and plantation models are proposed in all the 13 DPRs meant for the proposed forestry interventions and supporting activities, in different landscapes.
- Site specific treatments in terms of soil & moisture conservation and plantations of grasses, herbs, forestry and horticultural trees have been proposed for treatment of prioritized sites in the riverscape supported by GIS technique based on consultations with various stakeholders.
- Throughout this exercise Nodal officers from respective State Forest Departments were associated to coordinate with other line departments.
- Each DPR incorporates detailed geospatial analysis of the delineated Riverscape, exhaustive review on the river environment, factors responsible for the current state, development of various treatment models for Natural, Agriculture & Urban landscape in each of the delineated riverscape.
- The DPRs focus on protection, afforestation, catchment treatment, ecological restoration, moisture conservation, livelihood improvement, income generation, ecotourism by developing river fronts, eco-parks and bringing awareness amongst the masses.
- The DPRs are expected to be executed through the State Forest Departments as nodal departments and with convergence of schemes of other line departments in the states.
- The treatments are proposed to be spread over a period of five years with a provision for additional time for maintenance of plantations.
- During execution, “Ridge to Valley approach” shall be followed and soil & moisture conservation works would precede the plantation operations.
- Steering and Executive Committees at the National Level and State level have also been proposed in the DPRs.
- The project will strengthen the country’s progress towards Panchamrit commitment at CoP-26 during November 2021 in Glasgow whereby India promised to reduce its projected carbon emission by one billion tonnes by 2030, meet 50 percent of energy requirements with renewable energy by 2030, enhance non-fossil energy capacity to 500 gigawatt by 2030, reduce the carbon intensity of its economy by 45 per cent by 2030 and achieve net zero emission by 2070.