“Encouraging Women’s Participation in Ganges River Ecology Conservation”
Mukesh Shukla
Sikkim Manipal University, India
: Expert Opin Environ Biol
Abstract
Ganges is longest river (2,500km.) and designated as national river of India. The flood plains of river Ganges are one of the densely populated and highly cultivated regions in the world. Ganga basin sustains lives and livelihood of around 30 million population in gangetic plains. Increasing population pressure, uncontrolled exploitation of river resource, absence of appropriate policies for river basin management and waste management techniques and accelerated rate of climate change make Ganga to loose it’s pristineness. As majority of population lives in rural areas and their livelihood directly or indirectly depend on river water resource. And same time major cities like Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna and Kolkata being situated on the bank of Ganga. Municipal sewage of these cities including catchments water carrying chemical and microbial contamination directly or through its major tributary rivers like Yamuna, Gomti, Ghaghra, Ramganga and Saryu and other uncontrolled man-made waste disposal into river stream is one of the main reason of degradation of ecology of Ganges. Chemical farming practice along riverside is also harming river-life. Ganges is facing threat of extinction because of human population pressure, pollution caused by uncontrolled industrialization and tannery effluents, discharge of untreated sewage, unsound agricultural practices, over fishing and exploitation of river resource. Religious rituals on river bank and lack of awareness about significance of biodiversity of the national river of India. Women can play lead role in behaviour change of masses to create a river-friendly society. Habitat conservation should be given utmost importance to protect the river dolphins that has greater significance in river ecology.
Biography
Mukesh Shukla did his MSc in Ecology and Environment from Sikkim Manipal University, India. He has his expertise in river conservation, biodiversity awareness and promotion of green livelihood and women empowerment with 15 years experience in social development. He Worked with Centre for Environment Education as Project Officer for Prakriti Bus mobile exhibition on biodiversity of Uttar Pradesh, And Project Officer for Ganges River Dolphin Conservation Education Programme of National mission for Clean Ganga, promoting sustainable livelihood among riverside farmers and fishermen community on pilot basis and worked with 700 schools in 20 riverside locations of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, India.
E-mail: mukesh.envo@gmail.com
