Boosting Tourism
Rivers also play a significant role in boosting the tourism industry in several ways. Some rivers form lakes on their course that booms tourism of that particular area. The amount of employment that these rivers generate for local communities is enormous. Lakes also provide ample space for sports like boating and water zorbing.
Also, some rivers flowing through mountains provide space for adventure sports like rafting. Thousands of people get attracted to these sports, especially the youth. Some famous rivers where rafting is quite popular are the river Ganga in Rishikesh (Uttarakhand) and river Beas in Manali (Himachal Pradesh). Every year tourists visit these places especially for these activities, thus boosting the tourism of that particular area.
In the past one and a half years, the tourism sector has suffered the most because of the two severe waves of the COVID-19 and lockdown. With the efforts like Aatm Nirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India), it is expected that when the COVID restrictions will ease, people will prefer to go to local tourist spots rather than to a foreign place.
Role of Rivers in Indian Economy
Since the inception of human civilization, rivers have been a significant part of human lives. Water has been the most precious natural resource since time immemorial. In fact, the earliest known human settlements were started around the river banks, for instance, the Indus valley civilization. The primary reason for these developments was the potential of rivers as a source of livelihood and to generate economic activities around them. Over the period, as human civilizations across the nation began to develop, the dimensions of rivers as a source of the economy also increased. Let’s discuss some spheres where we find the economic importance of rivers.