A NEW LEASE OF LIFE FOR MAHANADI AT ITS SOURCE

The Mahanadi river flows cleaner and stronger than it has in years, thanks to the efforts of Dhamtari villagers, narrates Ejaz Kaiser

- 

THE mighty Mahanadi begins its journey as a humble stream at the foothills of Sihawa in Chhattisgarh's Dhamtari district.

Over the ages, it has been the region's lifeline, nourishing fields and sustaining communities. However, neglect took its toll as time passed. Encroachments, silt, untreated drainage, and waste choked the stream, while wild growth obstructed its natural flow. Villagers who depended on the river watched helplessly as its health declined.

That changed when the district administration launched an unprecedented effort to revive the Mahanadi at its origin. The Mahanadi Awakening Abhiyan (MAA), initiated by Dhamtari Collector Abinash Mishra, is transforming both the river and people's relationship with it.

"Incorporating the vision of the Jal Shakti Abhiyan and our state campaign Mor Gaon, Mor Paani, we wanted to revive the river in a mission mode," explains Mishra. "The idea was to restore the Mahanadi not just at its source, but along its 12-km stretch downstream."