NMCG conserves wetlands in Ganga basin - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

NMCG conserves wetlands in Ganga basin.

Deoria Tal, one of the high altitude wetlands in Uttarakhand, is an untouched marvel of nature.

There are many such wetlands, which are highly productive ecosystems that support rich biodiversity and provide a wide range of ecosystem services such as water supply, purification, and waste assimilation.

The wetlands play a crucial role in recharging groundwater, increase the base flow of rivers and help in erosion control.
Several of the Ganga basins' wetlands are home to key flora and fauna, including migratory species.
The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) under its Namami Gange program has taken up an initiative to conserve the wetlands in Ganga River Basin.
Sisir Kumar Rahto, Deputy Director-General of National Mission for Clean Ganga said, "The difference in the Namami Gange Project is primarily to rejuvenate the river through increasing the base flow and aquifers recharge and conservation of wetlands because that forms the part of one of our 'Aviral Dhara' which is to maintain the environmental flow in the river. So, wetland plays a majorly important role in that and the first step we are conserving wetlands in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal."
He added, "We are in regular conversation with the state governments to set up their wetland authorities. Almost all the states have done it and now we are going for a brief document for its rejuvenation".
Some of these wetlands are threatened by reclamation and degradation through drainage, landfill, and over-exploitation of their natural resources.
It results in loss of biodiversity and disruption in ecosystem services provided by the wetlands.
The National Mission for Clean Ganga in collaboration with the State Wetland Authorities will help identify and prepare Integrated Management Plans for management and conservation in the Ganga basin.
Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, Director-General of National Mission for Clean Ganga said, "If wetlands are in good health and if we don't encroach them they also help in mitigating some pollution because they also try to treat in a natural way some minor pollution in villages can be treated through the wetlands. They improve groundwater and when the rain comes, they will get full. So, in the lean season, through this wetland, the river will start getting water. So, I think this is the whole mechanism. This is all integrated system".
He added, "We are also trying to involve the community in the wetland conservation through our Wildlife Institute of India. We have a cadre of people, so apart from the government's effort, the community is also getting educated, made all these water bodies have to be rejuvenated".
Ecosystem-based and community-led models of rejuvenation of wetlands for enhancing 'Aviralta' and 'Nirmalta' of the river and water conservation in the Ganga basin are being integrated into the Namami Gange Programme. (Source: The Business Standard)


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NMCG conserves wetlands in Ganga basin.

Government renews push for organic farming in Ganga basin - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.Government renews push for organic farming in Ganga basin - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Government renews push for organic farming in Ganga basin.

• The idea is part of a larger agenda to promote sustainable agriculture in the Indo-Gangetic plains
• The council, formed in 2016, is constituted by chief ministers of the five river basin states
Two years after Bihar began developing organic farming corridors along Ganga, the Centre may renew its push for such farming along the river in five states to combat increasing pollution from toxic pesticides.

The proposal was deliberated upon in the meeting of the National Rejuvenation, Protection and Management of River Ganga Council (National Ganga Council) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kanpur on Saturday. The council, formed in 2016, is constituted by chief ministers of the five river basin states of Uttrakhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
The idea is part of a larger agenda to promote sustainable agriculture in the Indo-Gangetic plains by promoting organic clusters in a 5km stretch on both sides of the Ganga basin in the five states.
“It is a good policy-move, considering the cumulative use of pesticides has doubled in last one decade and most of it, runs off in our rivers. For short-term, 5kms stretch was fine, but the government should eventually plan to stretch it to cover more area in the basin. Entire riverbed agriculture should be organic," said Dr Venkatesh Dutta, an expert working on river restoration in Lucknow.
However, experts also voiced concerns over the regulatory aspects of the move. “Plans are made, but they fail to get implemented on the ground. Ganga is in a dire state and if we do not fix accountability, we would gain nothing. Even after the plan is launched, it usually lacks any kind of monitoring, which is what happened in parts in Bihar," said Dinesh Mishra, a noted senior authority on river networks in Bihar.
In 2016 too the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, and Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare had signed a memorandum of understanding to promote organic corridors in the Ganga basin.
The proposal was initially expected to cover 136 villages under the programme by providing incentives to farmers for input procurement like biofertilizers and biopesticides. As on June, 2019, as many as 4.53 lakh farmers were practicing organic farming under participatory guarantee scheme of the government, mostly in the north-eastern states. (Source: Livemint)


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Government renews push for organic farming in Ganga basin.