2. Journey of a River

Godavari flows through Maharashtra, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Its tributaries also flow through Chhattisgarh and Odisha.

Dam: Polavaram Dam (also Sriram Sagar Project).

Wildlife sanctuary: Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary.

Manjira, Indravati and Sabari join Godavari.

Rivers give water for drinking, cooking and washing. The land near rivers is fertile, so crops grow well. Rivers also give fish and a way to travel.

1. For drinking water and daily household work.
2. For watering crops in fields (irrigation).
3. For fishing and running factories.

Farming, fishing, boating, working in factories and ecotourism (like river rafting and guiding tourists).

Paddy (rice) is seen growing in the fields near the river.

Problems:

• Forests and farmland get flooded.
• Animals lose their homes.
• People have to leave their homes and villages.
• Less water flows to places below the dam.

Solutions:

• Give new homes, land and work to the people who shift.
• Plant new forests in other places.
• Release enough water for the river below the dam.
• Build smaller dams where possible.

They are carried by wind and rainwater into drains, rivers and finally the sea. They harm fish, turtles and birds.

We use soap, detergent powder, shampoo and phenyl. Some homes use natural cleaners like reetha, shikakai or ash.

The dirty water goes into drains. From there it often reaches rivers, lakes or ponds.

• Plastic bags and wrappers — animals swallow them and choke.
• Broken glass — can hurt animals and people.
• Old batteries — release poisonous chemicals into the water.
• Food waste — rots, smells bad and makes the water dirty.
• Old medicines — poison the water.

Sugar mixes completely and disappears. This water looks clear.

Oil does not mix. It floats as a layer on top of the water.

Dissolve in water: salt, sugar, glucose, jaggery.

Do not dissolve in water: oil, sand, chalk powder, sawdust, stones.

The river with clean water looks healthy. Its water is clear, so fish and other animals can live in it.

Fertilisers from fields get washed into the river. They make water plants grow very fast.

Too many plants cover the surface like a green blanket. Fish cannot breathe, and the water becomes unsafe to drink.

1. I will not throw waste or plastic into water bodies.
2. I will not wash clothes, vehicles or animals in rivers and ponds.
3. I will take part in clean-up drives and plant trees near the banks.

To prevent flooding: Keep drains clean. Plant trees. Do not allow houses on river banks.

To prevent damage: Give early warnings. Keep boats, ropes and emergency kits ready. Set up shelters on higher ground.

To keep elderly people and people with disability safe: Make a list of such people. Shift them first with helpers. Keep their medicines ready.

To keep animals safe: Untie cattle and move them to higher ground. Store fodder in a safe place.

I would use stored water very carefully. I would use it only for drinking and cooking. I could also ask neighbours for some water.

I would bring water from a public tap, hand pump, well or water tanker. I would bathe with very little water from a bucket. I would reuse water for cleaning. Every drop would be used carefully.

In the past, rivers gave water, fertile land, fish and a way to travel and trade.

Yes, rivers are still important. They give us drinking water, water for crops and factories, and electricity. Today, pipes and canals carry river water to far-away places too.

No one should throw waste or let dirty water from homes and factories into the river. Anyone who does so must pay a fine.

Cut a plastic bottle and turn it upside down. Fill it with these layers from bottom to top:

1. Cotton or cloth — stops fine dirt.
2. Charcoal — removes bad smell and colour.
3. Fine sand — traps small particles.
4. Coarse sand and small pebbles — trap big dirt.

(a) To keep the river clean: Clean dirty water before it reaches the river. Keep dustbins everywhere. Do not let factories dump waste.

(b) To prevent floods: Plant many trees. Build good drains. Do not build houses close to the river banks.

(c) To have enough water in summer: Do rainwater harvesting. Build small dams and ponds to store water. Teach people to save water.