The Revival of Rajasthan's Buried Aeru River

Environmentalist Bitthal Sanadhya, inspired by Ramon Magsaysay Award winner Rajendra Singh, led a five-year campaign to revive the Aeru river in Rajasthan. Illegal mining had buried the river under debris. Following a 2018 PIL and a high court order, efforts began in June to restore the river, and progress is visible.

Environmentalist Bitthal Sanadhya was exploring Labhakho and Peepalda areas in Rajasthan's Dabi forest when a forest ranger revealed that the region was home to a buried river, Aeru, covered by debris from illegal mining.

Inspired by Ramon Magsaysay Award winner Rajendra Singh, Sanadhya decided to revive the river. Armed with GPS images, he filed a PIL in the Rajasthan High Court in 2018 to restore the Aeru, which spans 40 kilometers through Bhilwara and Bundi districts.

After a five-year struggle, the high court ordered the Mines & Geology Department to draft an action plan and allocate funds for the revival. With Rs 10 crore earmarked for the project, efforts began in June, and clear water now flows over a two-kilometer stretch, with further work scheduled post-monsoon.

(With inputs from agencies.)