The state capital’s fear of water scarcity is set to wade off as efforts have begun to revive Respina river -- the lifeline for being the main source of drinking water for more than 600,000 people in Dehradun.
Following an invitation from chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, the Territorial Army’s 127 infantry battalion - better known as Eco Task Force (ETF) - has launched a massive exercise to rejuvenate the river that has become a stream of filth and sewerage water while passing through the capital city.
This will be the one of few large scale exercises to be taken by the ETF after it took up the task of re-greening hundreds of acres of dead and vegetation less land across the hill state.
As per Respina river revival plan, the ETF in association with local voluntary organisation MAD has taken up the reconnaissance task of upper stream of the river identifying the kind of vegetation it posses and study of what all is needed for its revival.
According to ETF officials, they are determined to revive the river’s upper course in a way that will set an example for other states as well by restoring Respina water volume that has drastically lessened with the advent of time.
{{/usCountry}}According to ETF officials, they are determined to revive the river’s upper course in a way that will set an example for other states as well by restoring Respina water volume that has drastically lessened with the advent of time.
{{/usCountry}}“We were asked by the chief minister to re-green river catchment area particularly upstream in order to make a beginning towards revival its. As the plantation work is still on we have carried out another exercise and inspected the rivers course and its surrounding areas for assessing possibilities of other measures needed for its complete revival,” said Col HRS Rana, commanding officer of the ETF.
“It will be pioneer project for the Uttarakhand government. We have done harsh terrain projects in the past and two of our companies are already engaged in Namami Gange projects wherefrom we can import technical support,” said Rana.
According to Rana, revival of Respina will wade off the fear for water scarcity in coming days. “A high power committee of all stake holders will be constituted to monitor Respina river revival works as desired by the chief minister,” he said.