East Kali River has witnessed uncountable encounters with filth, sewage, chemical discharge and solid waste disposal in its recent decades. NEER Foundation has been in action since year 2010 to get attention to the river’s plight through its agitation, campaign, rejuvenation activities and approach to concerned governments. In year 2015, NEER was introduced to Waterkeeper Alliance and Raman Kant has been appointed as East Kali River Waterkepeer. Now the work plan received uplift and its horizon expanded.
Through partnership with World Wide Fund India, a research study of water samples of whole length of East Kali River was conducted and the reports submitted to the governments directly. Based on the reports, the river body has been included in rejuvenation project of Holy Ganga River “Namami Gange” by Indian Government. Raman and his team have put in the field work for the project. This year i.e. 2017-18, has also witnessed one more crucial achievement on river’s front, receiving heads up from the state government for bringing clean waters to East Kali!!
After attending the annual conference in Salt city in year 2017, Raman designed the plan to bring fresh waters to our almost dying river to rejuvenate it. As our river body is a monsoon river which hasn’t seen much waters in last 2 decades due to fewer rains and decreasing ground water levels, it doesn’t have much waters left at its origination length.
As it has been discovered that the river originates from a pond in Muzafarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh state, the water level is only 5 feet here. But in’ monsoons, it comes up and starts flowing into a stream. Other smaller streams flow into it and this takes formation of the river passing from eight districts and finally submerging into Holy Ganga River. In between at Kaasganj, about 50 cusec water is added to the river.
Due to shortage of waters in the river stream, the pollution keeps building up. Until fresh waters are added, the regeneration of the river is nearly impossible.
Hence, the East Kali River Waterkeeper approached the Irrigation dept. of Uttar Pradesh state government, to initiate a project for adding fresh waters to the East Kali River. After long persuasion, they have finally agreed and the project named “Remodeling of Khatauli Drain and Antwada Minor for supplementing 115 cusec water to Kali
River East” has been put in force. Under this project, 115 cusec waters will be brought to origination pond of East Kali River from Khatauli drain through construction of an another drain linking the two rivers and increasing the size of the located pond. The project proposal and its budget have been submitted to Ministry of Water conservation, River development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Government of India, by the state government. The total budget stands at INR 1,682.35 lacs.
Benefits of the Proposal:
When the waters will add to the origination pond, the river will flow in greater volume with fresh waters pushing away the pollutants and recharging the ground water. It will also aid in providing better waters for irrigation to the farming communities residing on the banks of East Kali River.
