1.Introduction
Gully erosion is severe most stage of soil erosion initiated by splash
erosion, followed by wash off erosion, rill formation cross grading and
developing recently formed channel which receives and conveys
intermittent runoff. Although this is a universal problem, but in
alluvial soil region the network of gullies develops all along the river
courses and due to high vertical falls both lateral and spatial
extensive net work of gullies develop and such net works along rivers in
India are called as ravines and internationally, the river system as
riparian areas susceptible to gully erosion. The severity of gully
erosion became severe from 1950 decades as revealed by long term data
(Warren and Beaver, 1965) plot developed (Yadav 2019). The severity of
soil erosion coincided with occurrence of intense rainfall and high
vertical falls led to development of large areas becoming out of
agriculture use in particular and loss of properties in general.Fig 1 depicts various scenarios of riparian areas susceptible
to gully erosion. The gullied lands were reclaimed by special external
funding from different donor agencies and vast areas were brought in to
arable, specially terraced land that converted eroded land escapes a
green productive land under irrigated as well as raned agriculture.
Fig1
After the development of work on reclamation of gullied land (Yadav et
al.1989) Government of India conducted studies on productivity
enhancement by such reclaimed gully watershed, which reveled success of
such projects along Yamuna in Uttar Pradesh, Chambal river in Rajasthan
and Madhya Pradesh along the River Chambal, a tributary to the rivers
Yamuna and Maui in Gujarat (Bhushan et al., 1991, Bhutan et. al .1992, ,
1997) .). An elucidating bulletin on gully and ravines erosion was
release by the Government of India, which was prepared under consultancy
work of the Government of India, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperation
by the research scientists of Research Centers for Gully erosion located
at Agra, Kota and Vassar under the umbrella of the then Central Soil and
Water Conservation Research and Training Institutes under apex research
organization called as Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New
Delhi. Yadav and Bhutan (2002) documented detailed accomplishment of
research and developments on gully and ravines in the riparian areas, in
India. The development enhanced exemplary enhancement and sustainable
yield fulfilling local and country’s food production reserve.
With development of prosperity and civilization created urbanization and
development of urban facilities in rural areas, which had been vision of
development in India by the past President of India late Dr A.P.J Abdul
Kalama. In such developments all sewages were drained in to the existing
river systems throughout India. The gullies remain at the lowest level
and developing habitations treat the lowest point as last detonation for
leaving sewage discharge, which worsen quality of river water. To clean
the bad quality of water as a result of dumping all kind of domestic and
industrial waste material and water spoiled quality of water. Many river
action plans for cleaning of such bad quality waters were launched as
prestigious river action plans called as famous Gang action plan, Yamuna
Action plan and so on all regional rivers. In all endeavors the main
treatment measures had been construction of sewage treatment plants
(STPs), which in spite of long time persistent and rejoiced by the
changing Governance did not produce any visible sign of improvement. All
the efforts went waste, which became clear by self cleansing of not only
one, but all river systems during lockdown period from March- May 2020,
in India and similar situations that might have developed elsewhere.
This fact led to conclusion that the river system should not receive
such waste, disposal, be domestic or industrial, if water resources in
the river system has to be maintained to keep water qualities free of
pollutions, the gullies also being easy access to discharging from such
sources suffered this setback. But, for this no attention could come
from the Government side. The sewage water irrigation and poor gully
condition spoiled entire scenarios of riparian areas, which had been
developed after long research and developments, fund resources and human
efforts.
Objective of the present study was to find innovative solution to such
problems of riparian river systems in general and that susceptible to
gully erosion in particular. The study developed innovative technology
to eliminate the developing limitations. Case study includes National
Research Setup along the river Yamuna, having densest network of gully
and ravines of the world, along the river Yamuna at Etowah, in India,
Manuscript contains such case study, innovative measures, their
potential application and impact in solving problems of varying nature,
called as, environmental food, prosperity and employment generation.