The Central Government has recently put into action minimum environmental flows for the River Ganga, also known as Aviral Dhara. This entity refers to maintaining the original course and flow of the river, encompassing aspects of quantity and timing of water that are crucial for ecological duties, along with social and cultural considerations. To comply with the Centre’s Namami Gange river cleaning project, the Government has issued a notification mandating that the river should possess a minimal environmental flow, even when diverted by irrigation, hydropower, domestic and industrial use projects.
Role of Aviral Dhara and Nirmal Dhara in the Namami Gange Project
Aviral Dhara (uninterrupted flow) and Nirmal Dhara (unpolluted flow) serve as two primary components of the Namami Gange project. The Initiative endeavors to clean and preserve the river Ganga through maintaining the river’s natural flow and reducing pollution levels.
The Scope and Application of The Notification
The National Mission for Clean Ganga outlines the minimum e-flow norms applicable to the upper Ganga River Basin. These guidelines cover areas from originating glaciers, through the meeting point of its head tributaries at Devaprayag, up to Haridwar, and extend to the main stem of the river Ganga up to Unnao district in Uttar Pradesh. The observance of the minimum environmental flow applies to all ongoing, upcoming, and future projects.
Regulations For Existing and Future Projects
Current projects that do not adhere to the norms must ensure compliance within a three-year period. Mini and micro-projects, which have minimal impact on the river flow’s characteristics, are exempt from these environmental flow stipulations.
Responsibility and Oversight of the Central Water Commission
The Central Water Commission, recognized as the authority and custodian of data, is tasked with the supervision, monitoring, regulation of flows, reporting required information to the appropriate authority, and making imperative decisions about water storage norms in emergencies.
Compliance Measures For Project Developers or Authorities
Project developers or authorities are mandated to establish automatic data acquisition and data transmission facilities at suitable project sites. This step will ensure robust monitoring of river conditions and enable efficient decision-making processes.
National Mission for Clean Ganga’s Authority to Direct Additional Release
The Central Government, via the National Mission for Clean Ganga, reserves the right to instruct the release of supplementary water in the River Ganga to fulfill specific demands as necessary.
Water Management Plans by Central and State Authorities
The concerned Central and State authorities are obligated to enforce demand-side management plans aiming to lessen water withdrawal from River Ganga. Good practices such as efficient irrigation methods, recycling and reuse of water, along with monitoring and regulation of groundwater withdrawals are expected to be adopted.
About National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG)
NMCG, formed in 2011, is the operational component of the National Council for Rejuvenation, Protection, and Management of River Ganga. Its primary goals include controlling pollution, rejuvenating the river Ganga, and ensuring environmental sustainability and water quality through a comprehensive planning approach.
About the Central Water Commission
The Central Water Commission operates as an important technical organization in India’s field of Water Resources. This Commission works under the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation. It handles overall responsibilities of initiating, coordinating, and advancing schemes for water resource control, conservation, and utilization throughout the country.
