Arvari River
Encyclopedia
Arvari river is a small river
in the Indian state
of Rajasthan
. The 90 km long river, flows through the Alwar District
of Rajasthan. It was revived in 1990, after remaining dry for 60 years. The turnaround started in 1986, people of Bhanota-Kolyala village with the help of Tarun Bharat Sangha managed by Rajendra Singh
, constructed a johad
, earthen check dam at the source of the dried river, following this villages that lay in its catchment area
, and along it also built tiny earthen dams, with largest being a 244 mt. long and 7 mt. high concrete dam in the Aravalli hills; eventually when the number of dams reached 375, the river started to flow again in 1990, after remaining dry for over 60 years, and by 1995 it had become a perennial
river. The river was awarded the `International River Prize', and in March 2000, then President, K. R. Narayanan
visited the area to present the "Down to Earth
— Joseph. C. John Award" to the villagers. Rajendra Singh was awarded the Magsaysay Award in 2001.
Due to Water harvesting methods, the river has become a perennial river from seasonal one. To ensure that the Arvari remains clean and healthy and also to solve internal disputes, the 70-odd villages in the Arvari basin have also formed the Arvari River Parliament .
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in the Indian state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
. The 90 km long river, flows through the Alwar District
Alwar District
Alwar District is a district in Rajasthan, a state in northern India, with capital in the city of Alwar.The district is bounded on the north by Haryana state, and on the east by Bharatpur, on the south by Dausa, and on the west by Jaipur districts....
of Rajasthan. It was revived in 1990, after remaining dry for 60 years. The turnaround started in 1986, people of Bhanota-Kolyala village with the help of Tarun Bharat Sangha managed by Rajendra Singh
Rajendra Singh
Rajendra Singh is a well known water conservationist from Alwar district, Rajasthan in India. Also known as "waterman of India", he won the Ramon Magsaysay Award for community leadership in 2001 for his pioneering work in community-based efforts in water harvesting and water management. He runs...
, constructed a johad
Johad
A johad is a rainwater storage tank principally used in the state of Rajasthan, India, that collects and store water throughout the year, to be used for the drinking purpose by humans and cattle. In many parts of the state the annual rainfall is very low and the water can be unpleasant to drink...
, earthen check dam at the source of the dried river, following this villages that lay in its catchment area
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
, and along it also built tiny earthen dams, with largest being a 244 mt. long and 7 mt. high concrete dam in the Aravalli hills; eventually when the number of dams reached 375, the river started to flow again in 1990, after remaining dry for over 60 years, and by 1995 it had become a perennial
Perennial stream
A perennial stream or perennial river is a stream or river that has continuous flow in parts of its bed all year round during years of normal rainfall. "Perennial" streams are contrasted with "intermittent" streams which normally cease flowing for weeks or months each year, and with "ephemeral"...
river. The river was awarded the `International River Prize', and in March 2000, then President, K. R. Narayanan
K. R. Narayanan
Kocheril Raman Narayanan , also known as K. R. Narayanan, was the tenth President of India. He was the first Dalit, and the first Malayali, to have been President....
visited the area to present the "Down to Earth
Down To Earth (magazine)
is an Indian science and environment fortnightly, established by the in May 1992. Over the years the magazine has informed and inspired people about environmental threats facing India and the world—a dimension underplayed in mainstream media. DTE has become a reading habit in 400 of about 500...
— Joseph. C. John Award" to the villagers. Rajendra Singh was awarded the Magsaysay Award in 2001.
Due to Water harvesting methods, the river has become a perennial river from seasonal one. To ensure that the Arvari remains clean and healthy and also to solve internal disputes, the 70-odd villages in the Arvari basin have also formed the Arvari River Parliament .