A plan to replicate the initiative taken to restore the past glory of the Ganga and the Yamuna, in Jharkhand as well for gasping Damodar and Subarnarekha rivers is taking shape. The Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board (JSPCB) has invited an Expression of Interest (EoI) from the expert agencies dealing in river pollution for a detailed action plan. The EoI is likely to be published on Saturday.
The step has come as The Pioneer in June this year had reported about the idea of the pollution watchdog. It went into rigorous brainstorm at the Government level before coming into force. “We have given final approval to invite EoI for Subarnarekha and Damodar rives and all their smaller tributaries. It will also suggest ways to lessen the quantum of untreated effluents left free into the rivers,” said AK Mishra, Chairman of the JSPCB.
The EoI has been invited from competent agencies with adequate infrastructure and technical expertise to carry out the tasks and prepare DPR along with technical and financial supporting documents latest by October 31, 2014.
Though the stretch of Ganga in Jharkhand is just 32 kilometers but both the Damodar and Subarnarekha form as important tributaries of the pristine river. Unless these rivers are cleaned upstream it would not cut much ice just to clean river beds of the Ganga downstream. The action plan should suggest effective measures to reduce air and water pollution at critical point sources in particular.
The EoI would be eyeing for experts and agencies working in the field of pollution research, especially related to effluents coming out of industries and mines as the entire length of the two rivers of Jharkhand are spotted with a number of big and small industrial units, iron smelting plans, power plants, coal washeries and mineral hubs. The Ministry of Environment and Forest had in 2010, declared the industrial clusters of Dhanbad as critically polluted and those of Ramgarh, Jamshedpur, Seraikela, Badajamda and West Singhbhum as severely ones. River Damodar and River Subarnarekha and their tributaries flow in areas of these clusters. The EoI would identify the focal points along the industrial locations.
The Board has also added another aspect to measure carrying capacity of the rivers so that along with the curative steps long lasting prevention can also be ensured. “We wanted to know the exact carrying capacity of the rivers so that before granting permission for a new industry etc we can have data to ascertain whether allowing any further is possible or not. As the JSPCB is also a regulatory authority it would come handy for us,” added the Chairman.
Damodar river basin is the repository of approximately 46 per cent of the country’s coal reserve and labeled as the most polluted river of India. Also the Subarnarekha with a drainage area of 1.93 million ha is a silent recipient of host of the discharges from various uranium mining and processing units besides, sewerages from major cities like Ranchi and Jamshedpur.
The effort would result in improving BOD (Biochemical oxygen demand), dissolved oxygen and pH value by minimising the release of contaminants like arsenic and other toxicities into the rivers. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) is also chipping in besides consultations with counterparts in neighbouring states such as West Bengal and Odisha where the rivers flow downstream.