Arvari River

Arvari is a small river that flows through the Alwar district in Rajasthan, India. The river had become a temporary stream that remained dry for most of the year. It dried up completely in 1940’s, due to extended draughts in the area. The area was declared to be a ‘dark zone’ i.e. the ground water in this area could not be extracted. Whatever was left of the river turned into a monsoon drain. In 1986, the Tarun Bharat Sangh (TBS), a NGO, started the process promoting issues of water conservation among the people of the region. On seeing the improvement brought about due to water harvesting in a nearby river, the villagers of Bhaonta-Kolyala went to Rajendra Singh secretary general of TBS and asked for his help in reviving their draught-inflicted village. Help was given to them on the condition that the villagers would themselves have to take up the task of building dams and doing all the important works necessary for harvesting water. In 1986, the process of rejuvenating the river started when the people of the village built a Johad which is an earthen dam, meant to harvest every drop of rain water. The first Johad was built in the village of Bhavta. As the first Johad proved to be access, the villagers were inspired to build more dams. They did this by pooling their own money. There are 375 dams along the course of the river constructed in different villages of the river’s catchment area. There is even a concrete dam in the Aravalli Hills which is 244 m long and 7 m high, In 1990, the river started flowing again, after remaining dry for almost 60 years.

The revival of the river has led to an overall environmental improvement. The river provides healthy drinking water to the villagers. It gives a greater opportunity to the farmers for growing a large number of crops on the farm areas adjacent to the river. The sanctuary near it has animals and birds drifting into it from the nearby Sariska Tiger Reserve forests. The river also supports a good amount of aquatic life, including a multiplication in the growth of fish. Seeing this, the government gave the   contract to a private contractor to get the fish in the river. However, the villagers refused, in order to prevent potential government interference in the rivers management and ownership. This led to a lot of controversy, thereby giving rise to the Arvari River Samsad, or Arvari Parliament which was formed on 26th January, 1999. It included members from 142 members representing 72 villages. The parliament meets 4 times a year to discuss ways of better management or the river. The Parliament has set rules regarding the fair usage of the water of this river as well. The villagers have also managed to drive away a beer company from setting up a brewery using the local barley and water from the river Arvari. The villagers received the “Down to Earth – Joseph C. John Award” for their efforts. It was presented to them in March 2000, by K. R. Narayanan, the President of India at that time, who visited the Hamirpura village to support the people in their fight for rights of water.

Course

Arvari is a small river of just 90km. Its course runs through the district of Alwar district, Rajasthan. Its mouth is in the village Bhavta. Of the two sources, the other stream rises in Bhaonta-Kolyala villages. There are more than 70 villages that lie in the catchment area of this river, all in the Thanagazi block of Rajasthan. Some of the villages are enriched by it are Hiriavas, Dumoli, Khadata, Khatala, Samatsar, Chosla, Lalpura, Palasana, Joge-ki-dhani, Samra, Hamirpur, Natala, Jagnathpura, Kaled and many others. The Baironath Public Wildlife Sanctuary is located near the dam at the mouth of the river in Bhaonta-Kolyala. The river finally meets the Sainthal Sagar.

Tributaries

The River is a very small one, which has two tributaries one of which rises in the Bhaonta-Kalyala villages. The source of the other stream is in the village of Bhavta. The river has no other tributaries.

Photo Gallery