Page 128 - Sugam Sarita

significant running costs that must be borne by fewer consumers.

Most significantly, there might not always be a clear organisation
willing to assume the duty of running the system after it is built. This
institutional void causes inadequate water charge collection, which
in turn results in subpar operation and upkeep of the rural water

systems. Even more crucial than developing rural water infrastructure
is maintaining them. The institutional difficulty of operating and
maintaining complicated rural water systems has frequently been
addressed by handing management of those systems over to the

community, but with limited success.

Strategies to be adopted for Indian River Revivals -

1. Preventing River Pollution from Agricultural Runoff:

Agricultural runoff can be reduced if farmers are encouraged to

switch to organic farming. Our farmers require organic content in
their soil if they want to produce decent yields and make a living from
agriculture. Only by reintroducing tree leaves and animal faeces can
soil become healthy. This is beneficial not just to the river, but also

to the land, farmer revenue, and public health. Incentivizing farmers
to switch to organic farming is therefore not just necessary for our
waterways, but also for the nation’s food security and the well-being
of hundreds of millions of farmers.

2. Treating Industrial & Chemical Waste:

Chemical and industrial waste are now managed in India in such
a way that the polluting company is expected to clean its effluent
before discharging it into the river. In practise, this means that many

firms will only treat their effluent when inspectors are present. Many
enterprises discharge untreated sewage into rivers while no one is

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