Bihar River Rejuvenation Committee Pursues Strategies to Combat Pollution and Restore Vital Waterways

Patna: A crucial meeting of the River Rejuvenation Committee (RRC) was held on Thursday, chaired by Bandana Preyashi, Secretary, Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of Bihar. The meeting, hosted at Aranya Bhawan in Patna, addressed pressing concerns regarding the pollution and restoration of several rivers across the state.

Out of the 351 polluted river stretches identified nationwide, six rivers in Bihar – namely Ganga, Punpun, Sirsiya, Sikrahna (Harbaura), Ramrekha, and Parmar – have been flagged as polluted stretches. This designation underscores the urgency of collaborative efforts to address pollution and rejuvenate these vital water bodies.

S. Chandrasekar, Member Secretary, Bihar State Pollution Control Board, provided a comprehensive update on the latest status of pollution mitigation efforts. The action plan devised by the RRC focuses on various strategies, including industrial pollution control, sewage management and treatment, solid waste management, green belt development, groundwater conservation, and delineation of floodplain zones.

Key stakeholders, including the Urban Development & Housing Department, Water Resources Department, Rural Development Department, Agriculture Department, Panchayti Raj Department, Public Health Engineering Department, Industry Department, and Central Ground Water Authority, are tasked with ensuring the implementation of these measures.

Secretary Preyashi emphasized the critical role of the Urban Development & Housing Department in overseeing proper sewage and solid waste management to safeguard river water quality for bathing purposes. Additionally, directives were issued to ensure compliance with other components of the action plan, such as riverbank plantation and the notification of Standard Operating Procedures for groundwater conservation.

Concerns regarding the pollution of the Sirsiya river, originating from sources in Nepal, were also highlighted during the meeting. It was decided to escalate this issue to the Government of India for further action, underscoring the transboundary nature of environmental challenges.