NAINITAL: The major rivers of Uttarakhand are under severe stress with excessive sand mining from the river bed and commercial activity along the banks. The rampant quarrying of sand has changed the landscape of the river beds to such an extent that there are now deltas forming, changing the course of the river and significantly increasing the threat of floods, putting at risk settlements nearby.
There are now around 100 deltas in the Ganga at Haridwar alone. The Kosi too has formed deltas in Bajpur. The Gaula River has these at Lal Kuan, where one mini-island even has a local name: 'Sri Lanka tapoo'.
The accumulation of river-based material is the cause of the formation of these deltas, experts say. Once the material accumulates, the catchment capacity of the river declines.
Anil Prakash Joshi, a Padma awardee and environmentalist, says, "Normally, off season and monsoon ratio of the amount of the water flow in any river should be 1:7. In case of extreme flooding, it reaches up to 1:70. This situation arises when RBM (river-based material) is not removed in a systematic manner. Government agencies should be aware which parts of such islands should be removed and which not."
In the monsoon, when the river is at the peak of its flowing capacity, it comes laden with RBM. The mini-islands and deltas are formed because of the accumulation of RBM brought down by the river from the upper reaches. Heavy boulders, stones, sand, lime, mud and other material gather at spots where the river streams into the plains from the hills. These mounds form through the course of centuries, in the normal course.
"The formation of the deltas is a natural process. In the normal course, it does not pose a threat. But because of excessive mining activities and intrusion into the river bed in the name of development, these deltas emerge as threats. Controlled mining is vital to maintain balance. Otherwise, heavy RBM can force changes in the course of the river," Joshi explained.
The small riverine islands, ranging in area from a few sq metres to a few sq km, have developed their own ecology in the Ganga at Haridwar. Experts and environmentalists worry that across the state, mining laws are being flagrantly violated, causing irreparable damage.
"Uncontrolled mining of river beds is why the natural deltas in the river Ganga in Haridwar are perceived as a threat to the surrounding areas. The Kosi River in Bajpur has also started changing course now," the environmentalist said. Hundreds of villages on the banks of the Kosi were flooded.
A number of litigants have approached the Uttarakhand high court about the damage to rivers because of illegal mining.
Modaram, who uses only one name, took a petition to the high court about the illegal mining in the Kosi. He told TOI, "They dug so deep into the river and raked up so much mud that it appeared like the river was bleeding. The mini-islands are forming in the river because of the rampant sand mining."
The mining policy of the state was amended in 2011 and 2013, allowing private individuals and organizations to mine river beds. The state government started granting mining lease to people whose agricultural land got filled with river bed material after flooding in the monsoons.
Ajay Veer Pundir, a high court advocate who holds a PhD in environment law said, "Mining for commercial purposes is banned since 1951. However, illegal mining, under the garb of clearing the river bed of boulders, is rampant. Only after 2006 did the Supreme Court, National Green Tribunal and the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests start tightening the noose on illegal mining."
