We don’t talk of sustainable development anymore: Prof GD Agrawal -Governance Now

We don’t talk of sustainable development anymore: Prof GD Agrawal

The two-day conference on Incessant Ganga held discussions on drying river beds due to continuous sedimentation

Swati Chandra | May 18, 2017 | New Delhi

#Jairam Ramesh #Rajendra Singh #sedimentation #Incessant Ganga #Narmada #Narendra Modi #Nitish Kumar #Farakka Barrage #Ganga

Photo: incessantganga.com

Shortly after prime minister Narendra Modi vowed to save the Narmada river in Madhya Pradesh, a two-day conference has been organised by the Bihar government in New Delhi to conserve and rejuvenate river Ganga. Eminent environmentalists, activists and religious leaders gathered at the first day of the event led by Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar.

The conference on ‘Incessant Ganga’ held discussions on sedimentation -- a colossal impediment to incessant flow of river Ganga.

Former environment minister Jairam Ramesh, eminent environmentalist Professor GD Agrawal, and water activist Rajendra Singh were also present at the event.

Experts criticised the Narendra Modi government for the excessive exploitation of Ganga and not understanding the river’s hydrology. Slamming the central government, GD Agrawal said, “There is a term called sustainable development, which has been missing from the past few years. We hear only of development, and not sustainable development. When you talk of Ganga you must understand the needs and rights of everyone -- including plants, animals and the river itself.”

Talking about the problem of siltation, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar said, “Siltation is destroying Ganga's ecology and health. It is causing devastating floods in Bihar every year.” He urged for a countrywide policy on silt management and asked the centre to consider removing the Farakka barrage in West Bengal.

Huge amounts of silt get deposited in 200-250 kms of the Ganga river bed because of the pressure from Farakka barrage. As a result the depth of the river in the area has decreased, which causes massive floods during the monsoon. It also causes adverse effects on the ecosystem. Disappearance of Hilsa, a fish found in Ganga, is one of the problems that fishermen face. The Farakka barrage was commissioned in 1975 and has a total of total 123 gates. But many of its gates have outlived their economic life and serviceability. “Only 60 gates are functional at present”, said the panelists at the event. Former environment minister Jairam Ramesh talked about the need to look at alternative solutions to solve the Farakka barrage problem.

Criticising the water highways project, waterman Rajendra Singh said that the government is ignoring river’s health in the name of development and inland transport. “Ganga has been reduced to ponds, canals and lakes in plains. Still the government is going to launch 16 new projects on the river… This kind of development will be an injustice for the society as well as for the nature,” he said.

Comments

Other News

Regulating the data advantage: India’s new e-Commerce framework

For over a decade, India’s e-commerce story has rested on a simple premise: platforms connect buyers and sellers, while data fuels efficiency, personalisation, and scale. However, as the market matured, its structure has revealed a growing imbalance. E-commerce platforms, especially marketplace ent

Changing weather patterns, climate change responsible for Nepal floods

The interaction between active Western Disturbances, increased atmospheric moisture and the region’s complex topography aswell as global warming are important factors behind intense rainfall in the Himalayas, leading to flash floods in Nepal, according to meteorologists. Nepal

A right she cannot reach

Last summer, the two of us spent several weeks in rural Madhya Pradesh with a non-profit that works on gender justice through women’s self-help groups. We went in with a notebook full of laws. The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act. The Dowry Prohibition Act. Free legal aid for every wo

Tier-2 cities lead India’s digital credit push

Digital payments have become a reflex for urban India, but the confidence earned in paying has not yet carried over to borrowing. That is the central finding of `How Urban India Pays Report 2026`, released by Pahlé India Foundation in collaboration with Amazon Pay. Based on a survey of 5,149 consu

India calls for doubling bilateral trade with UK by 2030

Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal has called upon businesses in India and the United Kingdom to translate the opportunities created by the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) into expanded trade, investment, partnerships and job creation. Addressing the Bu

Gandhian movement after Gandhi failed: Ram Guha

The Gandhian movement in India, after Gandhi’s death, failed, says Ramachandra Guha, and blames Vinoba Bhave for it. But the movement found new, fertile grounds around the world and succeeded in bringing about a change in South Africa, the US and elsewhere. It is high time it returned home. Of cour