Bhubaneswar: Blocking the natural course of rivers and preventing them from meeting the sea could trigger a serious ecological crisis, warned Sudarshan Das, Convenor of the Mahanadi Bachao Andolan (Save Mahanadi Movement).

Speaking at the first session of the discussion on “The Need for a Sustainable River Basin Management” during the three-day Earth Again Conference organised by Sambad Group in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday, Das stressed the urgent need to protect and manage river basins systematically.

He said that even 2,500 years ago, Greek philosophers had described rivers as “a flow,” symbolising life and continuity. In 2017, the New Zealand Parliament recognised the country’s second-largest river as a living entity, acknowledging that rivers are living systems. However, due to a lack of effective action, the condition of rivers across the world, including in India, has deteriorated drastically.

Citing global examples, Das referred to the Aral Sea in Central Asia, once sustained by two major rivers, which has now shrunk to a fraction of its original size — a warning sign of human mismanagement.

“The condition of 11 river basins in Odisha has become critical,” he said. “The Bahuda is the smallest river basin in the state, and pollution levels in several rivers are rising alarmingly. Riverbanks are being encroached upon, and even the Mahanadi, the lifeline of Odisha, is under severe stress due to increasing pollution and industrial exploitation.”

He pointed out that 13 industrial companies have severely affected the health of the Baitarani River, while the government remains largely silent on the worsening state of the state’s rivers. “People are not aware of the gravity of the issue. Rivers are being ignored in the name of industrial development and continuously exploited,” he added.

Das further warned that the natural flow of rivers into the sea is vital for maintaining biodiversity. “If rivers are blocked from meeting the sea, biodiversity will collapse. Excessive construction of dams not only damages the river ecosystem but also disrupts its natural connection with the sea — a phenomenon now visible in China’s Yellow River,” he cautioned.

Concluding his address, he said, “No obstacles should be created between rivers and the sea. Blocking their natural course will invite a major environmental crisis.”