Concrete, effluents alter flow of Godavari right from origin

Concreting of river bed, free flow of effluents, encroachments and deforestation right from the origin at Trimbakeshwar in Nashik and along its course through Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have changed the natural flow of the mighty Godavari.
Experts fear that such human interferences have also tampered with the ground water recharge, besides increasing the river water flow speed.The irony is the river has become shallow and there is minimum flow of water beyond monsoon.
The Godavari flows from Gangadwar at Brahmagiri at Trimbakeshwar and reaches Kushawarth, the main place of worship in the temple town near Nashik. Residents said the river’s flow has been restricted right from Kushawarth till the market place and ahead. Concreting has been done from the Laxminarayan temple, while some important ponds have been concealed along with the natural flow of the river. The original river flows from Gangadwar till Trimbakeshwar, but the experts said it has been “strangulated” after Kushawarth till the heart of the town (Trimbakeshwar).
The river opens up from a nullah-like structure and leads to the Ahilya-Godavari confluence where the two rivers meet. It is where the only pooja of Narayan Nagbali is performed in the country — the site of the worshiop being near Gayatri temple behind the main shrine of Trimbakeshwar.
“Concreting the river has restricted its natural flow,” said Lalita Shinde, one of the trustees of Trimbakeshwar temple and a former deputy municipal council chairperson, who began exploring the place exactly two years ago to study the river. “The concrete work has also changed the characteristic of the river. On Neel Parbat, the floor space index has been increased for construction. The result is soil erosion,” she said.
Concrete work along the river has been rampant in Nashik and many of its tributaries lie buried under the slabs. The Goda Premi Nagri Seva Samiti, which conducted an extensive research on the issue, found that the tributaries were reduced to nullahs and also diverted. This, in turn, changed the natural flow of the river.
“Waghadi, a tributary of the Godavari, has been converted into a nullah. It flows from Chambarleni in Mhasrul to Panchavati. Waghadi has been converted into a nullah following its diversion through a pipe. When it rains in Mhasrul, the water flows with great force at Waghadi and reaches the Shahi Marg. This also causes the Godavari to flow in the opposite direction, as the Waghadi flows from a higher level,” said Devang Jani, founder of Goda Premi Nagri Seva Samiti. “The confluence of Aruna and Godavari at Ramkund has been stopped. The concrete slabs have completely arrested the flow of Aruna,” he added.
D Narsimha Reddy, an expert from Telangana who has done extensive research on the river and ground water recharge, said the direction of the river’s flow has changed in all the states that meanders through because of deforestation, concretisation and encroachments.
“In certain parts near Bhadrachalam, the river has changed its flow because of soil coming from the upper region. Even in the upper region, where there Pranahita joins the Godavari, there is a change in the direction of the river’s flow. Concrete work has been done all along the river to increase the speed of the flow. Because of the speed of the water, it does not remain in the river. Encroachments are common, particularly along the tributaries,” said Reddy.
He added that most of the river flowing through Telangana goes through forest land. “Due to degradation of forest and cutting trees, there is soil erosion that again changes the flow of the river,” he said.
“Water flows into Godavari from Chhattisgarh, Gadchiroli and parts of Maharashtra and Orissa. Most of the soil erosion gets deposited in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Because of concrete work, the depth of the river is reducing. It is becoming shallow and the speed of the water is increasing. There is no seepage of water due to the concrete and hence no ground water recharge. As a result, there is minimum water beyond monsoon,” said Reddy.
Another factor leading to the river pollution is household sewage. “In Rajmundry (Andhra Pradesh), all municipal waste is let out into the river. Even in Bhadrachalam, the river pollution is caused by fertiliser and thermal plants and paper industry. Effluents flow into Mandira, the tributary near Hyderabad. Mandira joins Godavari along with the effluents,” he said.
Narsanna Koppula, who runs NGO Aranya Agricultural Alternatives in Telangana and has studied the river extensively, share the same views. “Silt has been deposited in Sriram Sagar. Upstream, there is more erosion due to lack of vegetation. The consequence is the change in the flow of the Godavari.”