A WINTER PROJECT REPORT

ON

SUGAM SARITA: RIVER RESTORATION

BY

JUHI PITAMBERWALE

175 (PGDM-I) (2021– 2023)

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF

Postgraduate Diploma in Management (PGDM)

Deccan Education Society

Institute of Management Development and Research (IMDR)

PUNE: 411016

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 INDEX

Sr. no. Particulars Page no.

1. INTRODUCTION 3-4

2. OBJECTIVES 5

3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 6

4. DATA ANALYSIS 7-12

5. DISCUSSION WITH PEOPLE 13-15

6. FINDINGS 16

7. RECOMMENDATIONS 16

8. CONCLUSION 17

9. REFERENCES 18

10. QUESTIONAIRE 19-22

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 INTRODUCTION

The Purna River is a western Indian river. It drains into the Tapti River at Changdev in Jalgaon,
Maharashtra, and is one of the major tributaries of the Tapti River.
Purna is a Sanskrit word that means "complete" in English. It was also known as the Payoshni
or Paisani (Sanskrit for "Ambrosia"), and according to the Mahabharata, it was located in
Vidarbha's territory at the northern entrance to the Dandaka Forest. Purna is the name of a river
in India (the Khadakpurna and the Katepurna).
The Purna River is a major west-flowing river with catchments in Gujarat's Ahwaa, Valsad,
and Navsari districts, as well as Maharashtra's Nasik district. The Purna basin is separated into
three distinct physiographic zones: the eastern sections, the middle reaches, and the coastal
zones. The eastern parts of the basin are dominated by a chain of harsh Western Ghats
Mountain ranges that rise over 1300 metres and decrease to roughly 100 metres at the Surat
district's uplands' boundaries. The basin's central reaches are characterised by a high terrain
zone with peaks and valleys.
The watershed covers roughly 18,929 square kilometres and is largely located in Maharashtra's
eastern Vidarbha area.
It begins in Pokharni Village, 2 kilometres from Bhainsdehi. Bhainsdehi is a tehsil in Madhya
Pradesh's Betul district, which borders Maharashtra's Amravati district. The river travels
through the districts of Akola, Buldhana, and Jalgaon. The river is 334 kilometres long in total.
Along its banks, pilgrims can be found at Muktabai temple in Muktainagar and Changdev
temple in Changdev hamlet. Changdev village is where the Tapti and Purna rivers meet.
At Changdev village in the Muktainagar taluka of Jalgaon District in Northern Maharashtra,
the Purna meets the Tapti. Devotees think the meeting of the two rivers is sacred, hence the
Changdeva Maharaj temple was built there.
The river Purna rises near the village of Chinchi in Maharashtra in the Saputara hills of the
Western Ghats. The river is around 180 kilometres long from its source to its outlet in the
Arabian Sea. Dhodar nala, Bardanala, Nagihpar nala, Girna River, Zankari River, and Dumas
khadi are some of the Purna River's major tributaries. The Purna basin has a catchment area of
2431 square kilometres. Between 72° 45' and 74° 00' East longitude and 20° 41' and 21° 05'
North latitude, the basin is located. There is only one CWC H.O station near the river's mouth
at Mahuwa in Gujarat's Surat district.
The climate of the basin is classed as AW Tropical Savannah, as is the climate of most of the
peninsular plateau south of the Tropic of Cancer, according to Koeppan's Scheme. The Western
Ghats impact the climate in the early sections, which continues as the river reaches the coastal
plains. The patterns of temperature, rainfall, and winds, the regularity of seasons, and the
degree of wetness or dryness are all affected by climatic fluctuations.

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The temperature reaches its highest point in May and its lowest point in December and January.
At location Mahuwa, the maximum and minimum temperatures range from 27° C to 46° C and
30° C to 10° C, respectively.
From June through September, the Southwest monsoon brings the majority of the rain to the
basin. The basin receives an average annual rainfall of 1596.8 mm.
The whole basin can be divided in to three prominent physiographic zones viz.,
i) the Eastern zone
ii) the middle zone and
iii) the coastal zone.
The Eastern zone of the basin covers a chain of rugged mountain ranges of the Western Ghats.
The basin's central zone is defined by a high relief zone with peaks and valleys. Through a
coastal piedmont coastal zone that runs parallel to the sea, the mountainous region flows into
the plains. Most of the basin is covered in Deccan traps. High peaks and deep valleys can be
found in the east, and they blend into the lower reach, which is made up of recent and sub-
recent alluvium and blown sand, in the west. Neogene, Palaeogene, and early Palaeogene are
the straight graphical sequences of the rocks found in the basin.

Ghat at Purna river, Gandhigram Akola

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 OBJECTIVES

• To understand the rivers and its relationship with ecology and economics.
• To understand and map various rivers and their riverbanks in terms of the economic
value.
• To map the waste and pollutants in rivers in order to determine waste points and identify
linkages with industrial development.
• To find out different usage of the river water at present- irrigation, drinking water,
recreational activities, etc.
• To discover economic activities linked to river stretch for the specific location.
• To propose action points for river rejuvenation in terms of ecology.

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 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

• Research is descriptive and explorative in nature.

• The research was carried out using survey method and structured observation for
primary data collection and secondary data analysis from existing literature.
• A generalist questionnaire is focused on the following data points about the river Purna-
➢ Waste management in the river.
➢ Economical avenues at the riverbank
➢ Waterways – possibilities and challenges
➢ Societal importance of the river Purna
➢ Competitive analysis of Rivers: urban vs rural aspects
➢ Water management through rivers
➢ River revival

The data collected is based on a survey conducted by Juhi Pitamberwale with a sample size of
six riverbanks of the river Purna. The regions covered in the survey mainly consists of cities
and villages around the river Purna viz., Akola, Akot, Popatkheda, and Shegaon.

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 DATA ANALYSIS

River around Akot Taluka

River around Akot Taluka

Yes No

Answer River around Akot Taluka

Yes 100%

No 0

Interpretation:
The above pie chart shows the percentage of times it was observed that if there is a river
around Akot Taluka. It can be observed that 100% of times there was a river around Akot
Taluka during the survey.

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 Cities located at the banks of the river Purna

Cities Located near banks of river Purna

Hingoli Akola

Akola
Akot
Shegaon
Jalgaon Akot
Popatkheda
Jalgaon
Hingoli
Popatkheda
Shegaon

Interpretation:
It can be observed that the following cities- Akola, Akot, Shegaon, Popatkheda,
Jalgaon, Hingoli are located at the banks of the river Purna.

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 Ghats/Ports located at the riverbank

Ghats/Ports located at the riverbank

3 3

Yes No

Answer Ghats/Ports located at

the riverbank

Yes 50%

No 50%

Interpretation:
The above pie chart shows the percentage of times it was observed that if there is a
ghat/port around the river Purna. It can be observed that 50% of times there was a Ghat at the
bank of Purna river.

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 Economic activities dependent on the river in the city

Number of economic activities

7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0

Number of economic activities

Types of economic activities Number of economic

activities
Hydropower 2
Agriculture/ fertility of soil 6
Hostels/ Tourism 0
Transport/ Boating 0
Mineral extraction 2
Supply of water for domestic use 6
Fishing 0
Infrastructure/Bridges 0

Interpretation:
We can interpret the economic activities near Purna river are Hydropower,
Agriculture/fertility of soil, Mineral extraction, and Supply of water for domestic use. Wherein
agriculture and supply of water for domestic use activities are carried out at all six locations.

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 River dependent infrastructure

River dependent infrastructure

7

0
Agriculture Residential area Hydropower Constructions Small dams

River dependent infrastructure

Type of infrastructure River dependent

infrastructure
Agriculture 6
Residential area 3
Hydropower 1
Constructions 0
Small dams 2

Interpretation:
We can observe that the main infrastructure dependent on the river is majorly
agriculture, followed by using water in the nearby residential areas. Whereas there are no
construction activities near the banks of river Purna.

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 The common waste in river

The common waste in river

Nirmalya/Pooja flowers Plastic Papers Clothes Waste water/ sewage

Type of waste The common waste in

river
Nirmalya/Pooja flowers 2
Plastic 6
Papers 1
Clothes 3
Wastewater/ sewage 0

Interpretation:
Here it can be seen that major waste in the river is plastic which was found at
every bank of Purna river. Other kinds of waste such as pooja flowers, clothes and papers was
also found in the river.

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 Discussion with people nearby the river Purna

Several interviews of people staying nearby were conducted during the survey
and it was found that the residential and agricultural infrastructure is completely dependent on
the river making it livelihood of the people. It was also found that due to high amount of
Visarjan activities the water is polluted. A lot of POP idols were found alongside the river
leading to unclean water and nearby areas.

River Purna, Location: Shegaon

Plastic and clothes waste found at the bank of river Purna

It was also observed that waste like plastic bags, clothes and nirmalya/pooja flowers, etc were
found alongside the banks of river creating unhygienic conditions and polluting the river. Local
people also mentioned that there is no proper waste management facility for disposal of waste.

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 Visarjan location at Popatkheda reservoir

A few small dams are constructed near the river for storing water. The biggest reservoir being
Popatkheda Dam built in Akot Taluka. The reservoir serves for the purpose of agriculture,
increasing ground water levels and Ganesh Visarjan.

Popatkheda reservoir, Akot Taluka

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 Bricks production near the river Purna

Mining activity for producing bricks is carried out near Gandhigram village. Bricks are
produced in a large scale which consists of majority women labour engaged in production
activities.

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 FINDINGS

Existing situation: It was discovered that hydropower, small dams, residential and agricultural
infrastructure is fully dependent on the river, making it the people's livelihood. The water has
also been discovered to be polluted because of the large number of Visarjan activities. Many
POP idols were discovered alongside the river, which led to contaminated water and the
surrounding region. Waste such as plastic bags, garments, and nirmalya/pooja flowers, among
other things, were found along the river's banks, producing unsanitary conditions and polluting
the river. Locals also mentioned the lack of a competent waste management facility for waste
disposal. A few minor dams near the river are being built to store water. Popatkheda Dam, in
Akot Taluka, is the largest reservoir. The reservoir is used for agricultural, to raise groundwater
levels, and for Ganesh Visarjan.
Concern of the people: Since majority of the population is dependent on the river, decreasing
ground water levels is a point of concern. River Purna being non-perennial, it gets difficult for
the local people to fully sustain in such conditions. During Ganesh and Navratri, visarjan
practices are carried at a large level. Piles of pooja flowers and POP idols can be seen flowing
in the river. Due to such chemicals the water gets polluted and nearby residents can’t access
fresh and potable water. Drying river also makes it hard for people to survive in such harsh
weather conditions where the average temperature is 40 degrees Celsius in summers.

RECOMMEMDATIONS

Here are a number of recommendations that could be implemented to restore the river:
➢ Visarjan activities at Ghats of the rivers can be avoided in order to keep the water
fresh and potable.
➢ Small artificial wells can be developed for such visarjan activities.
➢ Various canals can be built so that water is not wasted in monsoon, which would also
help in agricultural use.
➢ The towns and cities should also have facilities to clean the sewage effluent. All
towns and cities must have Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) that clean up the sewage.
➢ We should stop our religious practices that pollute river water.
➢ Proper drainage and sewage systems should be adopted that will not allow the
polluted water to mix with river water.

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 CONCLUSION

Rivers are one of the major parts of our lives. They carry sediments and minerals which are
very useful for us. Rivers provide cheap and efficient inland transport for trade and commerce.
They help cities and towns to carry their wastes. Their water is extensively used in irrigation
and in developing hydroelectricity. Steps like managing water catchments, building
floodplains, building proper canals, and control of river pollution, can extensively help in
restoring the rivers. After focusing on the major environmental issues, we take little steps
toward environmental preservation. We can deliver many answers for the environment and
society by implementing these processes. Hence, the water table will be increased, and the
environment will be more stable because of this procedure or system. Developing more green
areas or other natural sources that can bring changes in our environment. The restoration of a
river can have a major impact on the environment.

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 REFERENCES

https://www.ijert.org/restoration-of-indian-river
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purna_River_(tributary_of_Tapti)

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 QUESTIONNAIRE

RIVER:
1. Name of River:

2. Google map of the point

3. Do you have a river near your village/city?

a. Yes
b. No

4. Which cities are located on the banks of the river?

5. are there any Ghats/ ports located on the river banks? If yes, please specify.
a. Yes
b. No

6. Please tick the festivals associated on the site of the river.

a. Deep Daan/ Ghat Arati
b. Ganga Utsav
c. Chath
d. Visarjan
e. Kumbh Mela
f. Adi Perekku
g. none
h. Other:

7. Which of the following economic activities are dependent on the river in the city?
a. Hydro- power
b. Agriculture/ fertility of soil
c. Hotels/ tourism
d. Transport/ Boating
e. Supply water for domestic use
f. Fishing
g. Infrastructure/ bridges
h. Mineral Extraction

8. According to you why rivers are important to communities? Please tick the
appropriate.
a. Hydro- power
b. Agriculture/ fertility of soil
c. Hotels/ tourism

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 d. Transport/ Boating
e. Supply water for domestic use
f. Fishing
g. Infrastructure/ bridges
h. Mineral Extraction

9. Is it a perennial (always with water) or ephemeral (water during rainy season

and dry otherwise)?
a. perennial
b. ephemeral

10. Are there any industries/ commercial setup situated on the river banks?
a. Yes
b. No

11. Are There any catchment area on the river?

a. Yes
b. No

ECONOMIC ACTIVITY AROUND THE RIVER

12. List the number of activities around the rivers (Like Water sports, Melas, Small
Stalls, Other activities)
a. water Sports
b. mela
c. small stalls
d. gardens

13. State the individual income generated around the rivers. (Monthly)
a. Below 10,000
b. 10,000-20,000
c. 20,000-30,000
d. Above 50,000

14. Attach Map the list of businesses generated around the rivers.

15. Tick the number industries around the rivers.

a. below 50
b. 50-100
c. 100-200
d. 200- 500
e. above 500

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 16. List the recreational activities around the river
a. 2-4
b. 4-6
c. 6-8
d. More than 10

17. There are no waste management facilities around rivers.

a. Yes
b. No

18. Kindly checkmark the river dependent infrastructure.

a. Agriculture
b. Residential Area
c. Hydro power
d. Constructions
e. Small Dams
f. Other

ECOLOGY OF RIVER AND WASTEWATER

19. tick the common waste in river
a. Nirmalya /Pooja flowers
b. plastic
c. papers
d. clothes
e. wastewater/sewage

20. Does the river water odour is bad?

a. Yes
b. No

21. Tick the color of water of the river

a. black
b. brown
c. light brown
d. blackish with foam
e. clear
f. Other

22. Any hyacinth or other planation growth on river bed?

a. Yes
b. No

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23. Tick animal species observed in dependent river.
a. Fishes
b. Turtles
c. Birds
d. Other

24. Upload the picture of river

25. Name two species of fish found in the river you are reporting.

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