Growing Industrialisation and its Cumulative Impacts: Insights from the Mahanadi River Basin

Introduction

The Mahanadi river row is virtually a conflict between irrigation and industrialisation in contrast to the prevailing opinion that it is a conflict between Odisha and Chhattisgarh. Heavy industrialisation over the last decade has created new demands which have exacerbated the situation. The governments of these two states are striving to supply water to coal-fired power plants located in their region and other water extractive industries in order to attract investments. Thanks to a 1990 government order, industries have been given permission to take water from the Mahanadi dam resulting in the increase of industrial water use. Only consider, after 1997, the industrial water distribution in Chhattisgarh has increased six times, coinciding with the state’s industrialisation drive.

Chhattisgarh has had a strong power sector ever since its formation in 2000. Private players have been attracted to this sector largely because of the government’s liberal policy with regard to captive generation. Chhattisgarh is also the iron and steel centre of the country. The Bhilai steel plant of the Steel Authority of India Ltd. located in the state produces four million tonnes of iron and steel per annum. Substantial capacities have been established in the private sector too.

Some key sectors where Chhattisgarh has an edge over other states are in the area of mining, power, cement, iron ore and steel. The government has been consciously supporting all efforts to industrialise the state. It has speeded efforts to build major barrages on the Mahanadi to ensure an adequate water supply for the future requirements of existing and new industrial units coming up in the state. A number of existing and proposed power plant sites are located in the district which, according to government plans, will also be supplied water from the river. An agreement has also been made between the Chhattisgarh government and NTPC Ltd over drawing of water for the upcoming Lara Super Thermal Power Plant from the Saradih barrage. The Chhattisgarh government has also given a ₹162.43 crore approval for building the Shivrinarayan barrage over the Mahanadi river in the Navagarh development block of Janjgir-Champa district primarily to furnish water to industrial units. State administrative approval has also been given to the Basantpur barrage project on the Mahanadi river to cater to the water demands of industrial units in Janjgir-Champa district. The Chhattisgarh government has also reported that the Electronics Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) being established in at Naya Raipur will receive plentiful water supply from the Mahanadi river. Significantly, the EMC has also received a final approval from the central government (The Pioneer, 2016). The Saradih barrage stands over a pastoral landscape flouting all environmental norms. Seven more barrages are also in the pipeline across the Mahanadi, most probably to supply water to a number of new power plants which are likely to come up in the area.

Arguably, then proposed and work-in-progress thermal power plants, iron and steel and coal-mining projects are on the fast track in the state of Chhattisgarh. In particular, a concentration of industrial activity can be found in the three north-central districts of Raigarh, Janjgir-Champa and Korba. Korba and Raigarh are considered the most productive districts of Chhattisgarh agriculturally but here prime agricultural land is acquired for industry. Most available water from its tributaries as well as from the Mahanadi river has been channelled to existing power/iron and steel plants. The under-construction plants are also contingent on water from this river basin. The main industries at present existing in the basin are the Bhilai iron and steel plant, aluminium factories at Hirakud and Korba, paper mills near Cuttack and a cement factory at Sundargarh. Besides, the agri-based industries based on agricultural products are sugar, textile and oil mills. Raipur, Durg and Cuttack are three important urban centres in the basin.

In order to attract investment, the Odisha state government has not only permitted industries to draw water from the existing irrigation projects but also given them an extra inducement in the form of low water charges. Industries are receiving water at half the price that farmers pay in Odisha. They have moved towards Odisha thanks to the area’s mineral richness and per capita water availability. At 9,203 litres a day it is an attractive volume as compared to the national average of 4,986 litres. The Hirakud dam is providing water to mega industries. In the past decade, 27 major industries around the dam have been given permission to draw water from it. Twelve of these have already started draining its water, while the rest are establishing their plants. Chhattisgarh’s 58,000 MW and Odisha’s 75,000 MW plants mostly rely on the Mahanadi. With a plant every 5 or 7 kilometres, the river in upstream Chhattisgarh is grossly overexploited. In Odisha, there is a plant every 10 km, so the same exploitation gets repeated there. The river is completely feeding private industrial consumption. Chhattisgarh has already erected six barrages on the Mahanadi. It was generally assumed that these would be for irrigation but in reality they are employed for industrial allocation. The Chhattisgarh government has drawn up a plan of at least 600 check dams to hold up 30 per cent of the available flow on the Mahanadi.

All this industrial activity has meant that the river been transformed into a low grade river if we go by the official pollution standards. Because it is essentially private industry that the river is catering to: the river is being exploited to defend private interests (Panda, 2012). The natural flow of the river is in danger of being jeopardised. The policy stipulated by the Central Ground Water Board for supplying water to industry clearly mentions that there will be no ownership, right or management of a private institution over any water body. But this policy is being openly defied by both states which are being lenient towards industries. Additionally, the unauthorised withdrawal of water without paying revenue by industries is an officially admitted fact (Mishra, 2010). The speed at which the government is establishing new industries in this region has caused great concern, especially as it is well known that with increasing levels of pollution the river is under enormous ecological pressure.

Industrial growth in and around the basin has increased rapidly in recent times and is likely to continue apace in the coming decades. Basically then both state governments are ignoring the adverse consequence of exploiting the Mahanadi for industry. One might conclude then that human interference with natural ecosystems is hampering the free flow of the Mahanadi.

Impact on Ecology

Given the background, it is clear that the Mahanadi faces a ecological disaster throughout its length because of various anthropogenic stresses, which include indiscriminate deforestation, domestic-agricultural–industrial water pollution, excessive exploitation of resources and large-scale sand mining and various other negative interventions. Collectively the impact has been disastrous for the environment.

Significant ecological variations in the basin have badly affected both migratory and non-migratory species of fish. The torrential water changes into a water body. Radical changes take place in organisms. Reduction of water level amounts to the formation of shallow areas which check the free and spontaneous movement of fish population. The reduction of water discharge, due to the construction of dams meant for industrial purposes in estuarine areas, results in changes of temperature and salinity in brackish waters. These constructions confine the migration of fish and the possibility of some fish species vanishing from their natural setting all together is very real. Mounting pressure on the Hirakud reservoir has made things difficult for community living in its periphery areas. The Lakhanpur block has a sizeable fishing population which will have its livelihood threatened with the heavy withdrawal of water from the Ib, a major tributary of the Mahanadi. The five fragile ecosystems, namely the Satkosia, Bhitarkanika wetlands, Chilika lagoon, Gahirmatha turtle habitat and Mahanadi delta, are also vulnerable. Any interference with this fragile ecosystem will have ruinous consequences not only for Odisha, but also the entire eastern seaboard. The flow in the Mahanadi is an important precondition to maintain the dependent fragile ecosystem. But inevitably the construction of industrial activities is likely to mount environmental pressure on the biodiversity of the Mahanadi river system. In addition, the contaminated water containing many toxic compounds disrupts the community structure of an aquatic environment. The river and its tributaries not able to keep up their minimum ecological flow, will have an appalling impact on agriculture.

Menace of Siltation

As demands from industry increase, the dam’s storage capacity is depleting rapidly. The reservoir’s water-holding capacity had been brought down by 17 per cent by 2006 and decreased further since after that. According to official sources, the siltation had diminished the Hirakud dam’s water-retention capacity to 3.8 macft (million acre feet) from its earlier 4.72 macft. In addition, the average inflow in the Hirakud between August and September is 16.5 macft, out of the annual inflow of 26.5 mactft. All the water goes to the sea as the Hirakud lacks capacity to preserve it. As the water-retention space fails to hold, it impacts power production as well as irrigation. This problem in the Hirakud dam is connected with Chhattisgarh’s attempts to rapidly industrialise. To effect industrial growth, the Chhattisgarh government has initiated large-scale cutting of trees. Resultantly, the loosened soil gets carried away with water into the reservoir, contributing to increased siltation thereby affecting the river’s natural biodiversity. Siltation also impacts marine life, freshwater fish, coastline alterations and fish migratory patterns.

A gradual decline in the dam’s storage capacity contributes towards a possibility of dangerous flooding in the event of heavy rainfall in the Mahanadi’s upstream area. In 2011, Odisha suffered a catastrophic flood in the Mahanadi basin following heavy rainfall in the river’s upper catchment area (Mohanty, 2016). Hirakud is the worst victim of heavy siltation which has damaged its storage capacity slowly but surely. The state government had budgeted ₹32 crore for a de-siltation project, of which ₹20 crore was utilised. But to date no effort has been made to take out the suspended silt from the reservoir itself.

Water Scarcity

While the river’s water receding, ironically the allocation of water to industrial houses and urbanisation is increasing at a faster rate. This over-allocation of water has left little water for irrigation in both states. The changed priorities in managing water resources have impacted both the quantity and quality of the river water. Not only has Chhattisgarh state built many barrages upstream under the category of minor irrigation projects but it also sells water to industries. A deliberate plan executed by the Chhattisgarh government to upturn established norms and promote industrialisation by resorting to a rampant unethical exploitation of the state’s rivers goes against the very interest of agrarian communities living in basin areas.

In the name of industrialisation, Chhattisgarh has sold to many industries, its barrages and reservoirs to investors. Over 23.5 km of the Shivnath river in Durg, along with the Kotni barrage and Borai water reservoir, is now under the absolute authority of a private company—Radius Water Ltd. Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) operates under the control of a check dam and intake wells in Bonda Tikra on the banks of Kelo, a tributary of Mahanadi. The company also owns a huge barrage and a dam built on the Kurkut river, 35-km upstream at Rabo village which chokes the river flow forcing most downstream villagers to migrate during summer. Under this project, the then Raman Singh government permitted JSPL to draw 54 million cubic metres (mcm) of water every year at 90 paise for every 1000 litres. Essar Steel Chhattisgarh Ltd and Tata Steel have benefits from an extended area of the Sabari river, which has its origin in Odisha and flows through Dantewada district in Chhattisgarh. While both companies draw almost 100 mcm of water every year, Essar runs a 267-km-long pipeline network—the second longest in the world—from Dantewada to Visakhapatnam port to transport iron ore in a slurry form.

As far as the six barrages built by Chhattisgarh government are concerned these structures have been built with water cess collected from industries for 15 years in advance. Such marketisation of rivers and water by the government of Chhattisgarh continues to severely hamper farming activities in both Odisha and Chhattisgarh, and drag both the states towards acute water scarcity (Mahapatra, 2017). To meet its industrial requirements, Chhattisgarh has planned at least 600 check dams to arrest 30 per cent of the Mahanadi’s available flow. The aim is to draw 1500 mcm per year and another 1200 mcm from its tributaries, Lilagarh, Hasdeo and Seonath. The Mahanadi accounts for 62 per cent of Odisha’s total industrial water allocation. About a decade ago, it was only 13 per cent (Mahapatra, 2012). The Mahanadi has turned into a water deficit river and indiscriminate industrialisation in both states has made matters even more horrifying.

The continued effort of Chhattisgarh to obstruct the Mahanadi river water by constructing barrages in its upper reaches dries the river during the non-monsoon months and create floods in Odisha during the monsoon season. Hirakud, the world’s largest dam made from earth concrete and masonry, will also remain in danger. The water of the river Mahanadi will not be feeding the farmers of Odisha in times of need. The socio-economic development of the state will come to a standstill. Already, the downstream Jharsuguda and Sambalpur districts are facing an acute scarcity of water for irrigation as several industries in these districts are reportedly drawing about 250 cusecs of water from the river every day. The hydropower generation of the Hirakud dam is likely to be affected due to excess withdrawal of water from the river.

The Sambalpur–Jharsuguda belt is already overwhelmed with industrial activity regardless of repetitive warnings by the Central Pollution Control Board. In spite of these red flags, the Odisha state government continuously permits further allocations to industrial houses in Sambalpur and Jharsuguda districts. Only consider, between 2000 and 2007, allocations from the reservoir increased six times. Jaydev Pradhan, a farmer from Sonepur’s Ulunda block, said that he has never seen the Mahanadi in such a pathetic state during peak monsoon as he did this year. ‘This August, the riverbed was so dry that you could actually play cricket on it. If that is how the river looks like in monsoon, imagine how it would be in summer months. Where will we get our water from?’ he asked. Several kilometres downstream of Sonepur, boatman Uddhab Behera seems just as worried. ‘This time, the mighty Mahanadi resembles a small pool,’ he said (Mohanty, 2018). The steady decline of the flow of water by 40.65 per cent million acre feet in March, 66.56 per cent in April and 79.37 per cent in May 2017 as compared to last three years has heightened anxieties about the warnings of water scarcity in the Mahanadi made by the Odisha Water Resources Department.

Increasing Pollution

Water pollution has caused a dangerous situation for all life forms in the Mahanadi river. The coal mining and thermal power plants located here are the greatest menace to the basin. The industrial growth-based development is polluting the Mahanadi to an irrecoverable extent. The industries emit hazardous pollutants like phosphates, sulphides, ammonia, fluorides, heavy metals and insecticides into the downstream reaches of the river. Industrial wastewater also adds to the darkness of water. Excessive darkness of water clogs up the gills of fish, thereby making it difficult for them to breathe in the dissolved oxygen from the surrounding waters. Chemicals like sulphur are detrimental to marine life. The toxic chemical pollutants in industrial waste products lead to serious human and animal health problems as well as widespread destruction of the natural world. An alarming rise in water pollution levels in the Mahanadi has become a major cause of concern the residents of millennium city. Rivers such as Shivnath, Hasdeo, Indrawati, Kharoon and others are contaminated in different areas due to industrial pollution. Among all the rivers, Hasdeo is the most polluted. This is the result of major industrial centres located in Bhilai, Korba, Raipur, Bilaspur and Raigarh districts (https://indiariversblog.wordpress.com/2017/06/03/rivers-of-chhattisgarh/). Industry not only uses water but also pours out waste material, lowering the status of available resources. Odisha’s high-level technical committee states that industries should return 80 per cent of the water they used after treatment. But how conscientiously industries follow these pollution guiding principles is difficult to say. Instead, the state government is playing the role of a blind facilitator to safeguard corporate interests to get rich dividends within a short period of time. The decline of water quality in the river may be attributed to heavy industrialisation and myriad human activities. (Samantray, Mishra, Panda, & Rout, 2009).

Odisha is in possession of 18 such heavy duty industries. There are 15 large industries located in the Mahanadi basin, aluminium and thermal power plants at Hirakud, a chrome and power plant at Chowdwar, a paper industry in Jagatpur and two fertiliser plants in Paradeep which release liquid wastes into the Mahanadi directly. The total industrial effluents released into the Mahanadi at Sambalpur, Cuttack and Paradeep from the larger units are 736 kld (kilolitres per day), 2,780 kld and 5,280 kld, respectively. While several medium and small industries on the Mahanadi basin pass out 100,000 m³ of waste water every day, 12 coal mines discharge 14,000 m³ mine water daily during non-monsoon months (Jena, 2008).

The untreated, partly treated wastes and waste water from different industries and coal mines unfavourably affect water quality and water uses. Reckless and widespread use of fertilisers, let out untreated urban and industrial effluent in rivers and land degenerates the surface and ground water quality. The untreated industrial waste on surface water might affect the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of river ecosystem. During the monsoon, the draining away of water from various stock piles like coal, minerals, solid waste gets released into the river. The users are exposed to various stomach and skin related diseases due to improperly treated effluents in its lower region. Coal-fired power plants not only gobble up water but also contribute to greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. They contaminate local lands, crop fields and water bodies to alarming proportion. The huge pumps installed by factories have polluted the groundwater to such an extent that there are small particles of iron in the water coming out of village hand pumps. Widespread greasy and black substances in large quantities are noticeable to the bare eye in the water of the basin which is very toxic to the animal and human planet. The river has turned into a receptacle of industrial disposal in truest sense of the term.

Climate Change

Climate change is another real and rising threat for the basin. Water and climate are closely related to each other. A recent technical study concludes that the basin’s water yield has reduced by a huge 10 per cent in recent decades because of decreasing monsoon rainfall caused by climate change. So climate change is affecting the availability of water in the state in a gradual way. But with increased industrialisation it will reach a critical level in just one or two more decades. Besides, agriculture will suffer considerably causing food insecurity, large-scale distress out-migration and massive deprivation of poor people in the coming years. Excessive forest degradation, mining, industrialisation and of late coal-fired power generation has ruined not only the health of the basin but also has made it extremely vulnerable to climate change. The increasing trend of rising temperatures in the Mahanadi river basin’s meteorological subdivision is due to climate change making the situation more severe. (Mani, 2009)

Polarisation Between Farmers and Industries

The sharp division between farmers and industries over water use is worrying. Even farmers whose lands are close to area surrounding the dams say they are not getting enough water. While the head-reach farmers feel anxious about the diversion of water to industries, the other farmers, already facing acute water scarcity, feel that their crops will be completely destroyed. The government is under incredible pressure from the industrial lobby not to cancel water their allocation from the dam. The state government of Odisha has signed MoUs worth ₹300,000 crore with industry in the past few years, mostly to mine and use the state’s vast mineral resources. It was able to capture business investments making frequent reference to the state’s abundant water supply and mineral resources. Within a day of the Chief Minister’s assurance to farmers on water allocation, industrial houses began meeting government officials to get a sense of the situation (Down to Earth, 2007). Farmers, fisherfolk and common people have been striving hard to access river water. The river is now heavily polluted and the current blind push for thermal power plants is further worsening the plight of the Mother River. Since 2002, the Odisha government has signed more than 100 MoUs with industries.

The over-allocation of water to industries besides its more obvious impact has led to a bitter conflict between industries and farmers. With the growing intake of water by Chhattisgarh, Odisha finds itself in a position of acute difficulty. It can no more draw water according to its own sweet will. It is neither able to meet the demands of its farmers, nor is it able to fulfil the water demand of industries as per the MoUs.

Until 1990, only two major industries were operating around the Hirakud reservoir. Now there are 26 large iron, power and aluminium plants. The Hirakud dam was built primarily for irrigation and hydropower, but the industries were given top priority in water usage. Moreover, the Water Allocation Committee of the Odisha government has allocated 1419 cusecs of water to 61 industries and other organisations in addition to prior consumers. Out of these 61 industries, 37 are drawing water from the Hirakud dam alone. The government support to the industries affected the availability of water to the farmers to such an extent that in 2007, around 30,000 farmers protested near the Hirakud reservoir in Sambalpur against increasing diversion of Mahanadi water to industries (Purohit, 2016).

To keep their promise to corporate India seems to be the prime motive of both state governments. Chhattisgarh wants to become the hub of the country’s coal power production, perhaps to retaliate against the Odisha government not giving it any benefits from the Hirakud dam. In doing that, it has used both government and private investments to construct barrages. Most barrages have been built to provide water to thermal power plants in the name of irrigation. The purpose of the Kelo dam was to provide irrigation benefits of 26,800 hectares in 175 villages located in two districts, Raigarh and Janjgir Champa, but it has not yet provided irrigation to a single hectare of land. Villagers displaced by the Hirakud dam project in the 1950s are yet to get the promised basic minimum facilities including safe drinking water and irrigation. But the fight around Mahanadi’s reduced water output is more of a contest between respective commitments to industries on the part of both the states. (http://www.parliamentarian.in/article/index/Odisha---Mahanadi-is-Dying…-With-Her-Children). The dams are serving corporates but not the state’s farmers and common people.

The increasing consumption of water by industrial units from the reservoir is the principal cause of reduction in irrigation water supply in the canal. A number of industrial units such as Vedanta Alumina, Aditya Alumina and HINDALCO were found laying pipelines and constructing intake wells well inside the reservoir to draw water. Growing industrialisation and increasing water extraction from the reservoir by industry ultimately precipitated to a number of protests by the farmers. But their voices have gone unheard. In 2005, farmers organised a huge gathering at Sambalpur and Bargarh towns against industrial water use. Later on, farmers in western Odisha joined the protest to make it a massive farmers’ movement over their right to irrigation water. On 15 August 2006, farmers’ organisations and unions from the Sason canal command and other parts of western Odisha formed the Western Odisha Farmers’ Coordination Committee to coordinate the farmers’ movement thereafter. Thousands of farmers and their family members appealed to the Chief Minister of Odisha and other concerned departments to abandon the allocation of water to industry at the cost of farmer’s interest. On 11 November 2007, farmers constructed a wall to obstruct the pipeline supplying water from the Mahanadi reservoir to Vedanta Alumina. The wall now called Chasi Rekha (Farmers’ Line) stands as a mark of the farmer’s demand for prioritisation of irrigation. The farmer’s firmly believe that water supply to industries is the main cause of water scarcity for irrigation. However, an acute shortage of water for irrigation may drag the farming community onto the street in days to come (Choudhury, Sandbhor, & Sahoo, 2015). The water supply to industries occupies the first position in the priority list of the government which has eroded the trust of farmers thereby leading to various protest movements.

Dying River

Both Odisha and Chhattisgarh are witnessing a rapid industrialisation as a result of which thermal power plants, iron and steel plants are proliferating in the Mahanadi river basin. These industries use a lot of water which, in turn, has a negative impact on the availability and quality of water in surrounding areas. Many thermal power plants in the basin use more water even when compared to global standards. The conflict concerning agriculture–industry water allocation primarily arises due to the absence of a transparent water allocation criteria. Moreover, urbanisation and industrialisation that are considered yardsticks of development and political economy, determine the way in which water is consumed (Dsouza, Samuel, Bhagat & Joy 2017).

The Mahanadi which used to be a water-surplus river some years ago is now dying. Ruthless competition is visible in both states to encash their coal reserves, seen in their inviting numerous industries, including coal-based power plants, sponge-iron factories and aluminium smelters, among others. While Chhattisgarh has 16 per cent of total coal deposits of the country, Odisha has over 24 per cent most of which are located in the Mahanadi basin (Sahu, 2018). Coal mining is not only responsible for widespread ecological devastation brought about by deforestation in the basin and erosion of top soil but also results in the contamination of the river. Truly speaking, the real wrong doers are the coal-fed power plants. While the Chhattisgarh government has signed MoUs for about 140,000 megawatts from such types of plants, the Odisha government’s plan of action includes producing about 58,000 mw of power by burning coal. Most plants are assured a adequate supply of water from the Mahanadi and its tributaries. It is feared that the Mahanadi may dry up due to simultaneous extraction of water by these industries. The Chhattisgarh government has also devised a plan to provide water to coal-fired power plants in the name of irrigation. At least 48 power plants have already been given an assurance that they can extract water from the barrages built over the Mahanadi in Chhattisgarh. The government of Odisha has not only given its nod for the establishment of several coal plants and other industries but also given water from farmers’ share to industries in the Mahanadi. Chhattisgarh and Odisha governments are brazen enough to dispose of Mahanadi completely by selling to industries. Around 61 per cent of total water from all rivers of the state has been allocated to 128 industries by the government of Odisha. All industries located in the Mahanadi basin are engaged in extracting water to such an extent that the river will either shrink or dry up. Frantic industrialisation will undoubtedly kill the river to a large extent (Sahu, 2018). The dumping of industrial wastes has further damaged the self-purification capacity of the Mahanadi. The whole nation will suffer if the Mahanadi is left to dry up and die.

The Tough Road Ahead

The Mahanadi river is clearly facing a terrible crisis. Neither Chhattisgarh nor Odisha has been able to identify the basic cause of the rising water shortage which is the inefficient water usage by both agriculture and industry. The apathy of both state governments has played a big role in inflaming the crisis. The Mahanadi is dying as its natural flow has been is interfered with and the water level is declining. The commercialisation of water to various industries has only made the problem more severe. The edifice of barrages on the Mahanadi to supply water to the industries has perilous consequences to follow. Playing amateurishly on nature is susceptible to potential environmental and ecological damage and unseen dangers. The river is going to be choked by brickfields and rice-mill waste. With components like climate change playing devastation, the situation is going to get worse in days to come. Further, the river is plagued with pollution stemming from industrial disposal. Neither government is prepared to talk about how the Mahanadi is dying because its water has been diverted to industries to a large extent. The resultant decay, recovery and revival of the river receive no attention either by the states concerned or by the centre. Removal of toxic substances from the river bed is the way forward to restore the health of the river to its original form. Increasing the water bearing capacity of the reservoir should gain precedence over allowing water to industry. Instead of involving themselves in a dispute over water allocation for industries, both states should come forward to revive the river because a healthy society depends upon a healthy river. A healthy river will be a healthy model for helping vulnerable communities adjusts to a changing climate. Protecting them now is a community’s health insurance policy for the future. The cumulative impact of myriad human activities essentially weakens the immune system and impairs the dynamism and resilience of the Mahanadi. An opportune moment has come to save biodiversity and river from the blind rush of so-called ‘GDP’-based economic growth. To restore the river to its vibrant health calls for a participatory, transparent process and an integrated approach with involvement of relevant communities at all stages.

A recognition of the Mahanadi as a natural and ecological entity and a sense of belongingness is critical. The holiness of the river should be translated into reality without creating a gap between religiosity and materialism. Principled thoughts should dawn upon the minds of the coming generation not to interfere with the flow and serenity of the river which has been flowing constantly through the matrix of rocks and sand, ultimately merging into the infinity of the sea for millions of years.