"Indian rivers have not been understood as ecosystems but are treated as conduits of water or wastewater" - Interview with Dr. Brij Gopal

Dr. Brij Gopal

Parineeta Dandekar, India Water Portal

There is no law in India stating that rivers must have freshwater flows for performing their ecological functions and that abstraction must be limited. How severe do you think this problem is and what are its ramifications on various sectors?

Can you suggest some changes in the present laws and policies that can be of help?

Which are the rivers you think are most severely affected and need immediate revival?

Above: Banas River near Kota
Source: Wikimedia Commons

In a scenario where allocations of water from a resource (river/ dam/canal) have already been made, how can this status quo be approached?

What was your experience, being a part of the Working Group on Minimum flows, appointed to advise the Water Quality Assessment Authority under the MoEF? What outcomes can be expected from this group? Is the Tennant methodology (supposed to be primitive), adopted by the group, good enough for India?

How do we fill the gap between expert-centred methodologies and serious lack of trained personnel?

In what way can the communities be a part of the process? ( given the lack of personnel and direct impacts on the community)

Above: Fisherman in Souparnika estuary
Parineeta Dandekar

Above: Fishermen in Vashishthi Estuary
Parineeta Dandekar

What is your stand/ your recommendation for the last remaining free flowing rivers in the country?

Above: Seetha Nadi near Agumbe, Malnadregion , Karnataka

Credits: Parineeta Dandekar

How do you see the way forward? When the water flows from the tap inside our houses and we are willing to pay a hefty price for a bottle of drinking water, who cares for the rivers? Delhi’s millions are contented with water brought to them from Ganga at Tehri; how many care for the sewer called Yamuna?