Categories
Places to Visit

Major rivers in Udaipur

“You can’t be unhappy in the middle of big, beautiful river” -Jim Harrison

Indeed, rivers are the most beautiful feature of nature created by God. They’re the most celebrated natural thing by poets as they write sonnets on it, personifying them in every possible aspect which expresses beauty or spirituality. Udaipur has been blessed by, not just one, but nine major rivers. Here is a detailed description of all the rivers and their impact on Udaipur city.

 

Water gushing in Ayad River towards Lake Udaivilas
Ahad river

 Banas

 Origination– The river originates about 5.5 km from Kumbhalgarh, Rajsamand in the khamnor hills of Aravalli Range. It flows through north-east of Mewar before meeting River Chambal in Sawai Madhopur district of Rajasthan. The basin of the river covers the area of   45,833 square kilometers and is flows up to 512 km.

About– The river has Nathdwara, Tonk and Jahazpur district lying on it, and the river basin covers the districts of Udaipur, Rajsamand, Ajmer, Bundi, Dausa, Tonk, Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Jaipur, Sirohi, Pali and Sawai Madhopur. The river is under the Bilaspur-Jaipur Project-2009 by Government of Rajasthan and provides drinking water to Jaipur city.

Dams

  • Bisalpur Dam is situated in Tonk district, Rajasthan. The Dam was built in 1999 and serve irrigation purposes, drinking water and supplies water in surrounding region.
  • Bitham Dam is situated in Bhinmal city in Jalore district. The dam was completed in 1963 and serve irrigation purposes.
  • Nand Samand Dam is situated in Nathdwara town near Rajsamand district. The dam was completed in 1956 and serve irrigation purposes.

Tributaries– The River is seasonal and has numerous tributaries.

The right bank tributaries are Berach and Menali and the left bank tributaries are Kothari, Dheel, Dai, Kalisil, Mohel, Soradara, and Khari.

@pinterest

Berach

Origination– The River originates in the north-eastern hills of Udaipur. It serves irrigation purposes and is an important river of the drainage system of the state of Rajasthan. The river flows for 157 km and covers the catchment area of 7,502 square kilometers.

About– The River is the tributary of River Banas. After originating from Udaipur and traveling through for 157 km, it joins Banas in the Bhilwara district of Rajasthan. The river drains the districts of Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Bhilwara, Nimbahera, and Jawad.

Dams

  • Badgaon Dam is situated near Vallabhnagar city in Udaipur district. The dam was completed in 1973 and serve irrigation purposes.
  • Bagolia Dam is situated near Vallabhnagar city in Udaipur district. The dam was completed in 1956 and serve irrigation purposes.
  • Fateh Sagar Dam is situated in the Girwa region of Udaipur district. The dam was completed in 1889 and serve irrigation purposes.
  • Madar Dam is situated in Salumber region in Udaipur district. The dam serves irrigation purposes.
  • Udai Sagar Dam situated in Girwa region in Udaipur district. The dam was completed in 1585 and serve irrigation purposes.

Tributaries– Ahar, Gambhiri, Wagli, Orai, and Wagon. All the tributaries are rightward flowing.

@OhMyRajasthan

 Ahar

 Origination-  The River originates from the hills of Gogunda in the north-west of Udaipur and travels through for 25-30 km before joining the Udai Sagar Lake in the eastern part of   Udaipur.

 About- The river is the major river flowing through Udaipur. It is joined by numerous tributaries and sub-tributaries. The Ahar River and its tributaries are seasonal in nature and are on the peak of their youth during Monsoons. Ahar River lies at the center and its tributaries form a dendritic pattern. It is sad that the river with rich historical importance is currently the drainage body of the city and is filled with garbage and is extremely polluted and even though the word is everywhere, nothing is in progress to clean and protect it.

 Dams NA

 Tributaries– The watered spill of Lake Pichola and Fateh Sagar Lake fed the river.

@youtube

Som

 OriginationThe River is the tributary of Mahi River, a major west flowing river. Som originates from the hilly region near Som village in the Kherwara tehsil of the Udaipur district and flows for about 156 km in the eastern direction to meet River Mahi. Its catchment area is about 6,443 square kilometers.

 About It is elevated up to the height of 600 mts. above sea level. The catchment area is extended over Udaipur and Dungarpur districts of Rajasthan.

 Dam

  • Som Kamla Amba Dam is situated in the Salumber city of Udaipur district. The river was completed in 1995 and serve irrigation purposes.
  • The dam is shared by both Som and Gomati rivers.
  • Som Kagdar Dam is situated in the Kherwara region of Udaipur district. The dam was completed in 1983 and serve irrigation purposes.

 TributariesTidi, Gomati, and Jakham

 

@youtube

Gomati

 OriginationThe River originates from the central hill of Udaipur district, almost from the   Badi Sadri region of Chittorgarh. It ultimately drains to Jaisamand Lake, for the creation of which, it was damned in the 17th century.

AboutThe river is known as the “Ganga of Southern Rajasthan”. It is in a quite dilapid

ated state currently.

Dam

  • Som Kamla Amba Dam is situated in the Salumber city of Udaipur district. The dam was completed in 1995 and serve irrigation purposes.
  • The dam is shared by both Som and Gomati rivers.
  • Jaisamand Dam is situated in Sarda region of Udaipur district. The dam was completed in 1730 and serve irrigation purposes.

Tributaries“Tributary itself”

@OhMyRajasthan

 

Jakham

Origination- The River originates from the Badi Sadri region of Chittorgarh district and flows south-west through Udaipur district and joins the Som river near the village of   Bilara. It covers a considerable distance and area of 2,318 square kilometers.

 About- The river flows towards south-western direction through Udaipur district.   Beneshwar Dham, the holy place situated on the ‘sangam’ of the River Mahi, River Jakham and River Som, is the only place in India where ‘khandit Shivling’ is worshipped.

Dam-

  • Jakham Dam built under the Jakham Major Irrigation Project.” The dam is built in the Anooppura village, 35 km from Pratapgarh Town. the foundation of Dam was laid on 14 may 1968 by Mr. Mohanlal Sukhadia, the then chief minister of Rajasthan. It serves the irrigation purposes majorly in the region of Pratapgarh.

Tributaries- Sukhli and Karmai

  

@panoramio

Sabarmati

 Origination- The River originates in the Aravalli hills near Tepur village in Udaipur district. Before reaching Gulf of Cambay in the Arabian Sea, the river travels through for 48 km in Rajasthan and 323 km in Gujrat respectively. It has Banas river Basin towards its east. The total catchment area of the river is 21,674 square kilometers of which 4,124 square kilometers lies in Rajasthan and rest 18,550 square kilometers in Gujarat.

About- There are no culturally important spot or places located on the river in Rajasthan but the river holds quite a religious level in Gujarat. Mythologically, it is said that Lord Shiva brought River Ganga to the state of Gujrat and that is how Sabarmati was born. The river flows through the regions of Pali, Sirohi, Udaipur and Dungarpur districts of Rajasthan.

Dams-

  • Dharoi Dam
  • Harnav Dam
  • Mazam Dam
  • Hathmati Dam
  • Guhai Dam
  • Matrak Dam
  • Meswo reservoir

Tributaries- Sei and Wakal 

@ministryofforestandenvironment

Sei

Origination- The River originates from the western projections of the Aravalli hills. It is formed out of smaller rivulets and flows for the distance of 102 km. It covers 946 square kilometers of hilly area and slopes in this 102 km and finally meets River Sabarmati.

About- The river is famous for the Sei Dam which has the water capacity of about 38.6 million-meter cubes. It is a seasonal river.

Dams-

  • Sei Diversion Dam is situated in the Kotra region of Udaipur district. The dam was completed in 1978 and serve irrigation purposes.

Tributaries- “tributary itself”

 

@Patrika

Wakal

Origination- the River originates from the south-western projections of Aravalli hills and travels for about 88 km before meeting Sabarmati river in the south. The catchment area of the river covers 1,625 square kilometers.

About- The river is the tributary of Sabarmati river and receives an average rainfall of 80 cm during monsoons. The river basin is hilly and covered with forests. It flows through the districts of Udaipur in Rajasthan and Sabarkantha in Gujarat.

Dams-

•Mansi Wakal Dam is situated in Gorana, about 50 km from Udaipur. The dam construction was started in 1989 and is under construction. Two phases of the dam are complete which supply water in the Udaipur city.

Tributaries- “tributary itself” 

@Deserttimes

The problem these rivers are facing:

 The Rivers are subjected to inconsistency and heavy pollution in Rajasthan. The modern-day developed and developing projects takes a heavy toll on the aquatic animals and water bodies of the surrounding region. Several factors that result in pollution of river bodies are heavy mining in and around the Aravali region, discharge of industrial slurry and other wastage in the rivers, increasing deforestation, illegal sand mining and over-extraction of groundwater which results in the reduced performance of dams. Many perennial rivers of Rajasthan went seasonal in the recent years due to over-extraction of groundwater. As history says, the South and southeastern parts of Rajasthan had a very dear connection with the rivers. Some forts and fortresses even used them as their natural defense mechanism. Rajasthan already suffers from dryness due to its geographical position. It’s high time to save our rivers and take measures against the factors that affect and destroys their sustainability.

@Fibre2fashion

Sources:

http://www.india-wris.nrsc.gov.in/wrpinfo/index.php?title=Dams_in_Rajasthan

https://sandrp.in/2017/03/27/rajasthan-rivers-profile/

https://www.rajasthangyan.com/rajasthan?nid=10

https://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/rajasthan/rivers/udaipur.html

http://www.rajras.in/index.php/rajasthan/geography/rivers/

Categories
Social

Durga Pooja: Following an Eco-Friendly Tradition

We all see too many colorful idols around us at the time of Navratri, Ganesh Chaturthi, etc. But a really true fact behind all of them is the concern to our ecology. Now a day the idols are made from Plaster of Paris (PoP), which get a nice finish due to the easy and handy spray paint, distinct shine, and easy for mass productions, as the PoP rapid hardening material, as well as casted in moulds.

But an utter truth behind the scene is that the PoP idols do nothing but harm our environment and ecosystem. As after every festival of Ganesh Chaturthi, or the Durga Pooja, the idols are immersed in water body on the last day, Plaster of Paris does not dissolve easily in water and hence the idol floats on water after immersion. Since the idol is not immersed properly, in a way it amounts to dishonouring the deity. Talking about the health factors, PoP idols may take anywhere between several months to years to fully dissolve. In addition, when chemical paints are used to decorate the idols, these paints contain heavy metals such as mercury and lead, which seep into the water as the idol dissolves. Seems I need not elaborate more on the harm that it may cause to our health, as the same water is used for consuming by people of our city.

Durga Puja | UdaipurBlog
Idols being Prepared at Bang Samaj, Udaipur

The Bengali Community, sets forth an example of following a tradition from long time, which is eco-friendly and doesn’t harm the environment. The Bengalis celebrate the Durga Pooja primarily at four places in the city, which I have already mentioned in a post few days back. Special artists and sculptors are called every year from Kolkata, situated thousands of miles away, who spend many weeks in Udaipur, and create very beautiful idols of Goddess Durga with all the bio-degradable material like mud, chaff, jute, bamboos etc. Even the colours they use are water colours. So the water where the idol is immersed neither gets polluted nor it is an environmental hazard to immerse the idol in the lakes.

“I am indeed concerned for the safety of lakes. The idols made of PoP do not dissolve in water and thus pose serious problem for the lakes. Our family has been celebrating Duga Puja in this city more than five decades ago at Bindu Bhavan, but we follow the same traditions for rituals as well as preparation of idols, as was followed since 1956. The sculptors we call from West Bengal for the same purpose put in lots of efforts and spend a lot of time in carving out each and every minute detail of the idols, which is impossible to do with the PoP idols, as it hardens too fast. Hence mud is the primary constituent of the idols prepared. Putting this on record is essential, because every year the question comes up whether the idol should be allowed to be immersed in the lake or not.”

-Apurva Bhattacharya

Bindu Bhawan

 

“We have been celebrating Durga Pooja since past 20 years, and we have always been celebrating according to the traditions. It is always an idol made from mud which is worshipped, and we spend a major portion of our annual Pooja Budget for idols itself, to ensure that they are eco-friendly.  People must learn to preserve their environment, and shall take an oath to avoid immersing the idols made from PoP in our lakes. PoP idols must not be immersed, or shall be sprinkled with water and kept.”

-Dipankar Chakravarty

President, Bangali Kalibadi Society

We all must learn a lesson from the community, and must take considerable steps to preserve our environment. Afterall we never own our nature, but we owe it.

Categories
Festivals

India: Where we stand on our 62nd Republic Day

How we reached so far: from Independent to a Republic country

The foundation of independence laid before 150 years in 1857, which is described as First war of Independence got success after 100 long years of struggle and on 15th August 1947 when a new democratic country which has taken over the attention of the world with it’s principles of non-violence and peace.

India obtained its independence but did not yet have a permanent constitution; instead, its laws were based on the modified colonial Government of India Act 1935. On 28 August 1947, the Drafting Committee was appointed to draft a permanent constitution, with Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar as chairman. A draft constitution was prepared by the committee and submitted to the Assembly on 4 November 1947. The Assembly met, in sessions open to public, for 166 days, spread over a period of 2 years, 11 months and 18 days before adopting the Constitution. . This committee finally drafted with 395 Articles and 8 Schedules and it was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 26 November 1949.  After many deliberations and some modifications, the 308 members of the Assembly signed two hand-written copies of the document (one each in Hindi and English) on 24 January 1950. On this day Rajendra Prasad was elected as first President of India. After two days i.e on 26 January 1950 the Constitution of India came into effect, a date celebrated annually as Republic Day in India. 26 January 1950 is one of the most important days in Indian history as it was on this day the constitution of India came into force and India became a truly sovereign country.

On 26 January 1950 India developed into a democratic republic with a president, prime minister and a council of ministers, all who are elected by the public. India’s full title is The Republic of India and today it is the largest full democracy in the world.

 

India – Development since 1950

 

Agriculture

Before independence India was a country which relied heavily on agriculture. After independence this remained much the same, even today India ranks second worldwide in agricultural output. Agriculture and allied sectors like logging, forestry and fishing accounted for 15.7% of India’s GDP in 2009, employed 60% of the total workforce and despite a steady decline of its share in the GDP, is still the largest economic sector in the country. India has always been a major grower of cash crops such as tea, tobacco, coffee and spices while also being a world leader in exporting many varieties of fruit. Although India has developed many modern and innovative means of farming the agricultural sector in India remains synonymous with poverty. The majority of India’s farmers earn less than $2 (USD) per day growing rice on tiny family-owned plots.

 

Services


The services sector employs 23% of the Indian workforce and began its rapid development in the 1980s, this is in comparison with approx.4.5% in the 1960s. The stimulus for the spurt in growth in the services sector came from two main areas: a substantial stepping up of public investment and also the emergence of a highly educated Indian workforce who were willing to work for far lower wages than their European counterparts. The services sector accounted for 63% of Indian GDP in 2008-09 and as per the Central Statistical Organisation this figure has continued to grow.

 

Industrialization


Before independence India was a largely agriculture-based country. Post-independence, the Indian private sector began attempts to expand. It has since handled the change by squeezing costs, revamping management, focusing on designing new products and relying on low labour costs and technology. Technology has been one of the main cornerstones of India’s industrial development. Information Technology sector accounted for 5.9% GDP. Mining and other energy exploits have also been one of the main areas which have pushed the industrialization of India since independence. India has the third largest coal reserves in the world. Nuclear power is a very large source of electrical consumption in India. As of 2010, India has 19 nuclear power plants in operation generating 4,560 MW while four other are under construction and are expected to generate an additional 6000 MW. This recent development has coincided with further industrialization of many of India’s cities.

The development of India since independence has changed it into a democratic, industrial country at the forefront of becoming a big global power. However due to this rapid change and urbanization, India faces many problems. The country is facing many sustainability issues in the near future which will be discussed below.

 

India and Future Sustainable Development

Poverty

Poverty is an everyday sight in India but something which must be addressed or it will negatively affect the country’s future sustainability. According to a 2005 World Bank estimate 42% of the Indian population fall below the international poverty line. Although this is a major increase on the figure of 87% in 1980 it is still a shocking statistic. If India is to become a truly developed country it must develop a form of social welfare scheme, this means that at current poverty levels close to 240 million people would be availing of welfare benefits. This is a figure which is simply not viable, therefore if India is to sustain development into the future it must do something to lower poverty levels.

 

The Environment and Pollution

Although India is low on the carbon emissions scale compared to countries such as America its carbon levels are still very high and steadily increasing. India is emitting 1.17 tonnes of CO2 per person per year and this is an ever-increasing figure. Most of these carbon emissions are coming from factories and industry. India’s main fossil fuel is coal (a very high polluter) means that air pollution levels will probably continue to increase. However there have been some encouraging signs in recent years as the government and legislators have begun a major drive to invest in clean technology and recycling facilities.

 

Water

India has huge problems with water pollution. The river Ganges is considered to be one of the world’s dirtiest rivers and still an estimated 2 million people bathe in its waters everyday due to Hindi beliefs and culture. Some sources even say that India’s water pollution problem is so bad that 70% of available water in India is contaminated. Indian officials must act to create sewerage treatment plants in order to reverse the country’s unprecedented levels of water pollution.

Another Sustainability issue which India faces in the future is the problem of water availability. According to World Watch Institute, Indian demand for water in urban areas is expected to triple by 2025. Another big problem is that actual water reserves look set to deteriorate due to global warming. 80% of India’s water comes from the Himalayas, either from rainwater or melting glaciers. If current projections are correct global warming will melt many of the Himalayan glaciers away by 2030 and this would result in the level of many of India’s main rivers dropping further pushing water demand.

Poverty and the Environment

The links between poverty and pollution and environmental-damage can be seen everywhere in India. The use of rivers as sewers is common to Indian slum areas. However to blame India’s poor for the environmental degradation would be a huge mistake. It is the lack of resources and facilities provided to the poor which results in the level of damage occurring in India. However there are many methods which the Indian government could use to tackle both problems i.e. reduce poverty by tackling environmental degradation.

  • Strengthen participation by the poor in decision-making related to access to environmental resources: People in India’s poorest areas should be involved in deciding where sewerage should be provided and how best to provide clean water as their local expertise would be vital.
  • Employ only local people in the building of environmental resources in their slum areas: This would boost the local economy and also create a sense of pride in environmental resources within the community.
  • Expand the natural asset base of the poor: By providing free plots of land to the countries poor India could promote a sense of environmentalism and a respect for nature while also providing economic assistance to the poor.

 

Conclusion

India has developed from an agricultural country into an urbanized, industrialized country. However this has led to many problems for the country including poverty and environmental damage. However it is not too late for India to fix its problems and hopefully in the future we will see this happening.

“Mother Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need but not every man’s greed”

– Mohandas Gandhi.

Appeal to people of India

We the people of India should participate in development of Indian directly or indirectly. Instead of always finding negative things and only talk over that, we should work together to eradicate the negative things and polish positive things.

 

Team UdaipurBlog wishes all the readers a very Happy Republic Day

– By Monika Jain