Way forward: A conclusive
remark
Namami Gange, the cleaning and rejuvenation plan of the Ganga basin
established a striking new magnitude of progression for the nation’s
prosperity by ensuring a clean and increased flow of water in river
Ganga. Several other core issues are currently being considered to
fulfil the overall aim of rejuvenation. It is believed that the future
of Ganga is the future of India, whether it is culturally, economically
or in terms of water resource availability. It is important to not treat
the majestic and unique river just as the source of water, but a passage
to our history, culture and civilization. With several first-time
initiatives, NGP is potentially most comprehensive framework for River
Rejuvenation. In conjunction with the main objectives, sludge management
and agriculture activities in the basin area seem to be the refined
focus of this project as per detailed analysis of public comments and
opinions.
Farmers are among the most important water managers because they use
roughly 70% of the freshwater water withdrawn globally to support
agriculture. Helping farmers will thus help creates possibilities for
reducing waste water and curb the water pollution levels (Sharma &
Shekhar, 2021). Sludge management on the other hand is also a core
issue, with increase in number of STPs and the current scale of
wastewater treatment. This is a problem faced not just by India but on a
global level.
There were numerous challenges that needed to be addressed one by one.
We have concluded our review with the bulleted observations about the
technology-based interventions we have offered across the identified
issues, which are provided below.
Agricultural interventions : The constant flow of water, clean
water, geological protection, and aquatic biodiversity conservation are
without a doubt the primary components that sustain the Ganga River in a
novel manner. However, there are certain crucial initiatives that may be
performed to improve the Ganga’s sustainability. Our goal is to
investigate the scope of ecohydrological and technology options for
Ganga rejuvenation based up on four primary components: rural (farmer),
urban, Ganga Dhara (watershed area), and Ganga Dhara (flood plains).
Part of the answer is to promote natural, organic agriculture and
related industries such as horticulture, floriculture, fishing, and
animal husbandry. The following are the main agricultural reforms we
have proposed regarding this:
- Adoption of Organic Farming.
- Adoption of Natural Farming (zero-budget, no-tillage, crop
diversification, and permanent organic soil cover).
- A digital Farmer’s registration inventory in accordance with
e-governance initiative.
- Cadastral mapping, complete with geo-referencing, geo-tagging, and
geo-fencing which should be linked to the above digital inventory for
a smooth functioning.
- Farmer Training programmes to generate Soil health related awareness
for a judicial and optimized usage of chemical fertilizers (in case
the farmer is not yet ready to move for organic or natural farming).
- For upliftment of farmers, developing an accessible market platform
for the agribusinesses.
A complete and integrated (traditional + digital technical) strategy
that promotes organic and natural farming and leads to sustainable
agriculture and food security in India is essential for the holistic
development of the Ganga basin’s agricultural sector.
Sludge management interventions : Because of the massive growth
in urban population and continual changes in living circumstances, which
have resulted in significant water usage and subsequent discharge of
wasted water into surface watercourses, sewage sludge treatment has now
become a serious problem. One aspect is the use of sludge in agriculture
due to its high quantity of organic components and plant macronutrients
such as N, P, and K. However, because there are several imperative
problems, such as the existence of undesired components like phenolics,
heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic compounds, and so on, which are
possible threats to the environment, a prudent approach is required.
Considering the many sludge’ management and disposal methods accessible
to us, India, as an agrarian-based growing economy, must decide what is
best for her. Landfilling is one alternative with advantages such as
being a substantial producer of greenhouse gases; however, there is a
faster technique of converting it into organic fertilizer that is both
green and sustainable. We need to look at private companies who are
working in this area and can efficiently manage heavy metals out of
sludge while producing high-quality agricultural goods.
Biodiversity Conservation, Sustainable Forestry, and livelihood
generation interventions : Apart from luring tourists, the protected
areas throughout the Ganga Basin give opportunities for biodiversity
parks. The Ganga River contains a diverse aquatic population. Wildlife
Institute of India (WII) has designated as many as six high biodiversity
zones, and there are over 5 lakh wetlands reportedly spread over the
five Ganga River states. Wetlands not only maintain a high level of
biological diversity, but also provides a diverse range of ecosystem
goods and services, such as irrigation, residential water supply,
freshwater fisheries, and recreational water. Based on our observations
of current developments under the ’Arth Ganga’ project, we propose the
following actionable ideas:
- Geotagging of Trees during Afforestation Programme.
- Timely Review of Eco-sustainable model of Arth Ganga.
- Community led conservation programmes.
- Wetland tourism promotion.
- Biodiversity based eco-tourism.
- Promotion of water sports.
- Skill based training programmes and promotion of local artisans and
creating international trade opportunities.
Among the multi-sectoral interventions, the specific challenges being
faced by Agriculture and Sludge management sectors are of huge scale and
needs immediate attention. Such challenges need not just a piece meal
approach but an overall integrated technology-based framework presented
as a solution which can address the monitoring and marketing aspects
while covering all other concerning aspects. It has to be dealt on grass
route level while using the modern approaches. This multi-facet approach
must include provision for farmer’s connect to businesses, their
acceptability towards organic and natural farming, warehousing solutions
for pre- and post-harvest management, promoting safe farming practices,
monitoring the activities on a dashboard level with pin-point accuracy,
region-based tree plantation and monitoring mechanism. Such a technology
can help to reduce risk, stimulate innovation and help the farmers
dealing with the effects of climate change.