NGOs launch drive to restore Ramnadi

NGOs launch drive to restore Ramnadi

PUNE: On the occasion of International Day of Action for Rivers, which is celebrated every year on March 14, a new initiative Mission Ramnadi Restoration was announced by Kirloskar Vasundhara, Jeevitnadi, Biospheres, Mission Groundwater along with 18 other NGOs. A special logo for the mission was also released on Thursday.

The mission is designed for a period of three years, where 18 city-based NGOs working on the environment will hold awareness and education programmes on solid and liquid waste management for the residents living on the banks of Ramnadi river. More than 10,000 students from 33 colleges of the city will also participate in this initiative. 

Chairman of Kirloskar Vasundhara International Film Festival (KVIFF) Madhav Chandrachud  said, “The 18 km stretch of Ramnadi originates from Varpewadi and flows through Khatpewadi, Bhukum, Bhugaon, Bavdhan, Sutarwadi, Pashan, Someshwarwadi, Baner, Aundh and confluences with Mula. It flows through three Grampanchayat including Bhukum, Bhugaon and Bavdhan and the rest i.e. from Bavdhan to Aundh region falls under Pune Municipal Corporation limits.”

Founder member and Director of Jeevit Nadi Shailaja Deshpande said, “The main aim of the mission will educate the residents who live along the river bank on solid and liquid waste management. Stretches of the river will be adopted to restore it.”

Chief Convener of Jalbiradari and Sagar Mitra Vinod Bodhankar said, “Around three lakh population resides on the river bank. We will work towards bringing in the change in their living by making them aware about the river pollution. For a healthy river, the level of dissolved oxygen should be 8 parts per million (ppm). It’s bad enough if it drops to 4 ppm, and at 2 ppm, the river is officially declared dead.” 

Shailendra Patel of Jaldevta Seva Abhiyan said, “There were 160 streams of Ramnadi and it has reduced to only 70 streams now. Around 30 per cent of the recharge areas have been reduced. Ramnadi restoration work has to be worked out because if streams and natural recharge areas are saved then only the river will be saved.”

Founder of Oikos Consultancy working in Natural Resource Management Ketaki Ghate said, “Some of the native biodiversity in the river can be seen in some parts of the stretches of the river. Therefore, the work on restoration has to be done as soon as possible.”

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