International Day of Action for Rivers- March 14th

• Every year on March 14, the International Day of Action for Rivers (IDAR) is observed to promote awareness of the importance of the river systems on the planet earth.
• The 25th anniversary of the day was observed recently. The day was earlier known as International Day against Dams, for Rivers, Water, and Life.
• Theme for 2023: Rights of Rivers.
  • It calls for the designation of rivers as a national treasure.
  • It demonstrates how crucial rivers are to sustaining human life.
• Rivers and other freshwater environments are crucial sources of clean water for agriculture and drinking but are being subjected to significant quantities of pollution and contamination by both the general people and industries.
  • The day tries to focus on the uneven access to clean water and the pollution occurring due to human activities.

Related Indian Initiatives

• Namami Gange Programme: It is an Integrated Conservation Mission, approved as a ‘Flagship Programme’ by the Union Government in June 2014 to accomplish prevention of pollution and conservation and rejuvenation of National River Ganga.
  • Ganga was declared as the ‘National River’ of India in 2008.
• Ganga Action Plan: It was the first River Action Plan that was taken up in 1985, to improve the water quality by the interception, diversion, and treatment of domestic sewage.
  • The National River Conservation Plan is an extension to the Ganga Action Plan.
• National River Conservation Plan (NRCP):
  • Centrally Sponsored Scheme implemented for abatement of pollution in identified stretches of rivers in the country, excluding those in Ganga basin, by providing financial and technical assistance to the States/Union Territories (UTs) on cost sharing basis.
• National River Rejuvenation Mechanism