ANNOUNCEMENTS
Rivers, which serve as a source of innumerable social, economic and ecological benefits to the planet, are faced with serious challenges due to anthropogenic activities and other indirect phenomenon resulting from them, such as climate change. Stressed rivers lose ecological balance, fail to thrive and sustain the ecosystem services, thus impacting the entire system and set of services they provide. Indian rivers are currently facing similar challenges, with not only large quantities of pollutants, such as waste from industries, urban local bodies, untreated sewage and agricultural runoff, but also unregulated abstractions to meet the demands of fast-growing population and economy. The study aims to design a basic strategic framework for restoring Indian rivers to their pristine state. For this purpose, an assessment was carried out to identify the gaps in the current Indian legal framework, existing river action plans and organizational structure, roles and responsibility, which could have led to the current conditions. The study also enlists effective river restoration measures for addressing various challenges of river health, which was prepared with the help of successful river basin management plans from across the world in the past. Thereafter, the framework was designed based on the gaps identified, thus suggesting mechanisms of addressing them. It outlines the various essential components that must be addressed in the framework. The framework elaborates on aspects such as setting achievable goals and objectives, creating an enabling environment with the help of strengthened legal framework, innovative incentive mechanisms, knowledge management, guideline documents, ICT tools among others. Such a unified framework is aimed at acting as guiding document for development of river action plans and riven basin management plans, which apply a systems approach towards rejuvenation of Indian rivers.
Keywords: Restoration, strategic framework, river pollution, Indian rivers, basin management
