RIVER REJUVENATION
River
India is the land of rivers. There are more than 20 river basins spread across the entire subcontinent spanning different geographical regions. This feature has led to India being tagged as a mega diversity and land with rich water resources. All the river basins provide irrigational facilities to all regions, thus adding support to the rich agricultural heritage of the country. Apart from this, the rivers of India together suffice the water consumption requirements of over 1.3 billion people.However, the harsh reality is that almost all the Indian rivers you can name have become polluted beyond permissible and acceptable limits and most of them now rank among the most polluted rivers in the world. Several reports by the CPCB and other state and local departments state that industries cause around 10% of the total pollution to the waters in India. Several industrial zones across the country are located on the banks of the rivers and constantly let untreated and contaminated effluents into the rivers. The rivers and lakes have become so polluted that the waters are unfit for use and consumption.We want to turn the situation around. Inspired by our Founder’s vision, volunteers from around the India have initiated several projects to combat several serious and huge environmental crisis. Projects include large-scale tree plantations carried out under Mission Green Earth, the revival of dried rivers, cleaning polluted rivers, temple waste management, and natural farming that preserves soil quality. Our projects mostly revolve around conserving natural resources and securing rural livelihoods in the process.
Rivers
A river is a large body of water that flows into an ocean or lake. Rivers often get their water supply from other bodies of water, rain, and melting snow or glaciers. They carry large amount of sediment as they flow and can even create new landforms.
RIVER REJUVENATION
Rejuvenation
In geomorphology a river is said to be rejuvenated when it is eroding the landscape in response to a lowering of its base level. The process is often a result of a sudden fall in sea level or the rise of land. The disturbance enables a rise in the river’s potential energy, increasing its riverbed erosion rate. The erosion occurs as a means for the river to adjust to its new base level. River Rejuvenation can lead to a number of changes in landscape. These include the formation of waterfalls and rapids, Knick points, River Terraces and increased meanders. Rejuvenated terrains usually have complex landscapes because remnants of older landforms are locally preserved. Parts of floodplains may be preserved as terraces along the downcutting stream channels. Meandering streams often become entrenched so a product of older river systems is found with steep, very pronounced “V” shaped valleys – often seen with younger systems. Also, it does not have the same pattern as an oxbow lake, although, it also could.