Jabalpur / Mandla: Out of the total length of 1372 kms of Narmada from Amarkantak to the Gulf of Khambhat, the maximum length of 459 kms passes through Mahakaushal region of Madhya Pradesh. Therefore maximum work should have been done in this area for environmental protection of life-giving Narmada. The irony is that the maximum pollution in Narmada is happening in this area.
25.5 lakh liters per hour untreated water is getting mixed in Narmada
The filth of about 60 drains is being mixed in Narmada every day between Bargi to Bhegaghat in Jabalpur. From these drains, 30 lakh liters of dirty water per hour is getting into Narmada. The municipal water treatment capacity is 4.5 lakh liters per hour. This means 25.5 lakh liters per hour untreated water is getting mixed in the river.
There are more than 200 dairies around Jabalpur city. From which 20 lakh liters of cattle excreta per day falls in Pariyat and Gaur, the tributaries of Narmada.
Filth from 25 thousand houses, contaminated water from more than 175 hospitals, grease and oil-rich water from 600 garages and washing centres, lakhs of liters of dirty railway water is getting mixed in Narmada.
Sand is being extracted illegally from Narmada
On the other hand, sand is being extracted illegally from Narmada at more than 35 places in the district. According to the 2015 report of the Central Pollution Control Board, 160 KM between Mandla to Bhegaghat is highly polluted.
Thousands of devotees visit Narmada daily, among them officers and politicians are also there, on whose shoulders is the responsibility of saving Narmada from being polluted, these are the people who do Narmada worship but do not use Narmada water to bathe.
Drying up tributaries
It is well known that Narmada is mainly dependent on rain and water from its tributaries. There are total 41 tributaries of Narmada. Due to rampant cutting of forests in the catchments areas of the tributaries, these rivers are now drying up in the middle instead of joining the Narmada. The present onslaught like sand mining is making the Narmada basin hollow.
Institute should be set for research on rivers
Raj Kumar Sinha of Bargi Dam Displaced and Affected Association said that even after 37 years of formation of Union Ministry of Forest and Environment in the year 1985, even an institute has not been set up for research on rivers. That's why an institute should be set for research on rivers.
Sinha said instead of administrative management of rivers, a monitoring system should be developed from the point of view of environmental management, in which it is necessary to include experts with understanding of ecosystem, climate change and biodiversity.
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