SERI news Vol. 6 No.5, January, 2012

Vol. 6 No.5, Jan., 2012 With you in Pursuit of Sustainable Management of Finite Water Resources

Chief Editor Executive Editor, Design Sayali Joshi, CEO Susmit Editorial Board Advisors Clean water is not an expenditure of Federal funds; clean water is an investment in Dr. Pramod Salaskar Dr. Jayant Mandlik the future of our country. Pallavi Patil Dr. Suresh Karkhanis -Bud Shuster, U.S. Representative, quoted in The Washington Post, 1/9/87

Pradnyesh Agre Dr. Bikash Aich Contact: Executive Editor, Shrishti Eco-Research Institute, B-106, Devgiri, A river seems a magic thing. A magic, moving, living part of the very earth itself. Opp. P. L. Deshpande Garden, Near Ganesh Mala, Pune – 411 030. . -Laura Gilpin, The Rio Grande, 1949 Phone: 91-20-24253773 /Telefax: 91-20-66206539

Website: www.seriecotech.com Email: [email protected] The First Law of Ecology: Everything Is Connected To Everything Else. -Barry Commoner, The Closing Circle, 1971 Point for discussion this month Sustainability of River Restoration

High quality water is more than the dream of the conservationists, more than a (For private circulation only) Pl. note that the ownership of views expressed by the author lies with him / her only. SERI’s management does not endorse or own them. political slogan; high quality water, in the right quantity at the right place at the right time, is essential to health, recreation, and economic growth. ~ EDMUND S. MUSKIE, U.S. Senator, speech, 1 March 1966 Shrishti Eco-Research Institute, Pune 1

SERI news Vol. 6 No.5, January, 2012

Dear Readers, 25 Times Rise In Income Of Fishermen After Restoration First month of the year! Month of resolutions for the year ahead. Always & Conservation Of Highly Polluted Ahar River, make big resolutions after all not failure but low aim is crime! - Pallavi Patil The beginning of 2012 was very busy and encouraging for SERI as SERI in collaborations with GRIN and blessings from Jgadguru Shri. It’s a pleasant surprise to record that the income of fishermen up-surged 25 times Shakaracharya of Badripeeth and Dwarkapeeth has successfully eco in 2012 as compared to the 2008 – 09 as confirmed by Sukhalal – a fishing restored complex of 5 nallas (wastewater streams) in Allahabad drained contractor. into Ganga River, , India.

This was altogether different experience of rejuvenating concretized, Ecological Restoration project of Ahar River and was completed channelized contaminated streams. And social awakening by Swami in March 2010. Since then the ecological health of Ahar River and Udaisagar is Avimukteshwaranand ji and Swami Gyanswarup Sanand ji (formerly continuously improving from last two years. Known as Prof. G. D. Agarwal, ex-Member Secretary, Central Pollution

Control Board) was the key stimulation for public involvement and Flow of Ahar River is 150 MLD. A team of Journalists from Pune investigated the owning of the project. current socio-economical impacts of Ahar river restoration using Green Bridge

Ganga River has been notified as a national river – a national pride due to system on biodiversity and people along the banks of river and Udaisagar Lake. its unbridled supremacy owing to catering the needs of 400 million populations along its entire length of 2525 km from Gangotri in Himalyas During this visit, fisherman Sukhlal informed that he paid less than $10000 per to Gangasagar – confluence with Bay of Bengal. There is a need to year to Government for fishing contract in Udaisagar till 2010 and now they are understand the stresses on the river from its densely populated catchment paying $ 250,000 for the same because of good yield of fish and its sale-ability in and to quantify status and process indicators for it’s real restoration plan the market. He confirmed that toxicity in the Udaisagar reduced day by day due by adopting integrated lentic and lotic basin management principles. to Green Bridges which were installed on Ahar River upstream of Udaisagar lake having 10 sq. km water spread area. Green bridge system can revive the self-purification capacity of the water

body leading to the better water quality downstream. SERI Team is Poor residents and farmers told that their health problems reduced substantially thankful to all peoples who gave support directly or indirectly for this as they are getting better quality vegetables and good quality ground water. noble project. About 10,000 people are directly benefitted from the improved river and lake In this issue, the changes in ecosystem of Ahar River after green bridge water quality. system has been pictorially described to give an account of socio-ecological

improvement in the region. In the next issue, details of Rasoolabad Stream Sandeep Joshi, designer of green bridge system – grafting of an ecosystem for Ecological Restoration project will be given. augmenting the self-purification process of river, with teams of SERI and Green Once again wish you all very happy, prosperous, and pollution-free New Infrastructure expressed contentment, and gratitude towards the people of Year 2012!! Udaipur and nearby villages for owning the project of Ecological Restoration of

Thank you, Ahar River as a part of their livelihood and water culture. Chief Editor Let's review this from the point of ILBM success. Shrishti Eco-Research Institute, Pune 2

SERI news Vol. 6 No.5, January, 2012 August 2009 – January 2010 Chronology of the Ecological Restoration of Ahar River and Udaisagar Lake Public awareness before installing Green Bridges. All stake holders are actively August 2009 involved in this project.

An international workshop was organized by ILEC, Japan at Udaipur with Jheel

Sanrakshan Samiti, (JSS) August 2009

ILEC team visited Udaisagar and Ahar River

ILEC Team Members with local January 2010 - March 2010 Worst River condition people Eco-Restoration of Ahar River was started in Jan. 2010

Huge Foaming found in the River River with full of water hyacinth due to industrial waste discharge

Shrishti Eco-Research Institute, Pune 3

SERI news Vol. 6 No.5, January, 2012 May 2010 Planning Commission, GOI, MoEF & CPCB Visit to the project

Expert Members and officers of Planning Commission, GOI, MoEF and CPCB st visited the Ahar River on 21 May 2010. On-site testing of water carried out by CPCB Team, They noted that D.O Level was 8 ppm of treated water while before

Green Bridge installation it was zero.

May 2010- November 2010

Rejuvenation of Ahar River

The Ecological cycle of Ahar River initiated within 63 days of installation of Green Bridges. Moina – invertebrate – food for fish - sprawled in the river bed which attracted lots of fishes. After fishes some turtles were spotted which ran away 15 - 20 years back due to polluted water. March 2010

Completion of Green Bridge Installation At the same time numerous freshwater phytoplanktons and zooplanktons were observed in the treated part of the river.

Microscopic Picture of zooplanktons and phytoplanktons

Developing Aquatic Biodiversity

Shrishti Eco-Research Institute, Pune 4

SERI news Vol. 6 No.5, January, 2012

Moina Fishes found into river Crowd of egrets Onsite study by scientists & limnologist

November 2010 – March 2011 Green Bridges under water After monsoon, as the gates of Udaisagar Dam were not opened,Green Bridges were under water for 3 - 4 months. The water column was about 1 m height. But no anaerobic condition developed. The water level reduced at beginning of April

but there was no effect on filtration efficiency of the system and overall performance and structure after high flood.

Screen and green bridges under water

Fishing started in the Ahar River Water snakes traped in the fishing net

Shrishti Eco-Research Institute, Pune 5

SERI news Vol. 6 No.5, January, 2012

January 2011

Project shortlisted by the Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India for National Urban Award

Ahar river restoration project was shortlisted by the Ministry of Urban

Development, Government of India for its prestigious National Urban Water Award. The Ahar River restoration project is a great example of Public Participation Project (PPP) where the government offices, International organisations, Industries, NGOs, Scientists, Villagers, councils etc. all working together to restore and rejuvenate polluted water bodies. Everyone had taken effort to do this noble venture. Huge amount of solid wasted Water tested by Dr. Salaskar arrested due to Screen April 2011

Rejuvenation of Green Bridge after floods After completion of one year of installation of green Bridges and eco restoration of Ahar river, a dead and very stinking water body for about 15 years, villagers saw crocodile with her two siblings inhabited near the green bridges.

Zooplanktons Oxygen librated from Algae

After flooding impact structure of

Green Bridges

June 2011

Study of Physico-chemical & Biodiversity of Ahar River

Dr. Pramod Salaskar, Limnologist and Pradnyesh Agre, SERI Envt. Officer analysed river water samples at different locations, at different time intervals and found early morning average D.O. after the treatment was 4 -5 ppm and the concentration increases up to 10 -11 after 12.00 p.m. As per mass calculation D.O. transfer due to bioactivities in Green Bridge complex had estimated that Yellow eyed babbler every day about 11,500 Kg of oxygen was being transferred to river water.

Shrishti Eco-Research Institute, Pune 6

SERI news Vol. 6 No.5, January, 2012 January 2012 Current Situation

Red wattled lapwing Pond heron

Cattle egret Black Drongo

December 2011 Presentation on Ahar River restoration available on the Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India

Presentation on Ahar River restoration was available on the website of Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India.

Link - http://urbanindia.nic.in/programme/uwss/ppt/udaipur.pdf

Local People can now use river & bore well water which was not possible before Green Bridge installation. Shrishti Eco-Research Institute, Pune 7

SERI news Vol. 6 No.5, January, 2012

Visual Changes showing the difference site before & after Green Bridges system installation

Before After

Before After

Photographs by Mr. Probir Sinha, Dr. Pramod Salaskar, Mr. Sandeep Joshi, Jheel Sanrakshan Samiti, (JSS), Mr. Pradnyesh Agre, Mr. Gopal Joshi, Mr. Arvind Telkar

Shrishti Eco-Research Institute, Pune 8