Maheshwara river revived in Rajasthan

Jaipur, Sep 28 (UNI) Efforts of water activists and local people have resulted in the revival of yet another dead river in rocky daang region of Rajasthan.

The Maheshwara river of Karauli district, the course of which stretches 25 Kms along 15-20 villages in the Daang region, has now been turned into a perennial river.

The river, for the first time maintained water all throughout the year. The revival is the result of 10-year-long untiring efforts put collectively by environmentalists and water activists working with different outfits like Tarun Bharat Sangh, Jal Biradari, Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and Gram Sabhas and denizens.

The mission had begun in 1997-98 with humble launching of a water harvesting structure for long term augumentation of water in Khizura village along the river course, renowned water activist and Magsaysay Awardee Rajendra Singh said.

Since then 369 water harvesting structures like Ponds, Anicuts and seasonal Water Holes to prevent draining of rain water during monsoon have been brought up in the rocky region infested by dacoits.

This involved an investment of over Rs 58 lakh of which Rs 22.81 lakh was contributed by the denizens and Rs 35.53 lakh contributed by Tarun Bharat Sangh, Mr Singh said.

In Khizura, crop cultivation area had gone up to 140 Bighas registering seven fold increase during a decade.

Village Sarpanch Roop Singh, Social workers Chaman Singh, Jagdish Gurjar, Shravan, Karna Singh and other villagers are all a happy lot. Similar is the scenario in Raibelli, Virmka, Nimer, Rawatpura, Hatiaki and other villages.

The revival of the river was recently celebrated by holding a Jal Kumbha at the village. Besides Mr Singh, Water activists Arun Tiwari (Delhi Jal Biradari), Shamsher Singh (Uttarakhand) and several others participated in the 2-day event.

With this, Maheshwara has become the fifth river and/or rivulet revived in the desert state.

Earlier, river and/or rivulets, Ruparel , Arwari, Sarsa( all in Alwar) and Tildari(Jahazwali), most of them tributaries of the Banganga, have been revived as perennial streams with efforts of local people and water activists.

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