Ganga River Basin

Management Plan - 2015

Extended Summary
January 2015
by

Consortium of 7 “Indian Institute of Technology”s (IITs)

IIT IIT IIT IIT IIT IIT IIT

Bombay Delhi Guwahat Kanpur Kharagpu Madras Roorkee
i r

In Collaboration with

IIT
IIT
Gandhinaga CIFRI NEERI JNU PU NIT-K DU
BHU
r

NIH ISI Allahaba WWF

 d
Roorkee Kolkata Universit India
y

GRBMP Work Structure

 GRBMP – January 2015: Extended Summary

Preface
In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-sections (1) and (3) of Section 3 of
the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (29 of 1986), the Central Government
constituted the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) as a planning,
financing, monitoring and coordinating authority for strengthening the
collective efforts of the Central and State Government for effective abatement
of pollution and conservation of the river Ganga. One of the important
functions of the NGRBA is to prepare and implement a Ganga River Basin
Management Plan (GRBMP). A Consortium of seven “Indian Institute of
Technology”s (IITs) was given the responsibility of preparing the GRBMP by the
Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), GOI, New Delhi. A Memorandum
of Agreement (MoA) was therefore signed between the 7 IITs (IITs Bombay,
Delhi, Guwahati, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Madras and Roorkee) and MoEF for this
purpose on July 6, 2010.

The GRBMP is presented as a 3-tier set of documents. The three tiers comprise
of: (i) Thematic Reports (TRs) providing inputs for different Missions, (ii)
Mission Reports (MRs) documenting the requirements and actions for specific
missions, and (iii) the Main Plan Document (MPD) synthesizing background
information with the main conclusions and recommendations emanating from
the Thematic and Mission Reports. It is hoped that this modular structure will
make the Plan easier to comprehend and implement in a systematic manner.

There are two aspects to the development of GRBMP that deserve special
mention. Firstly, the GRBMP is based mostly on secondary information
obtained from governmental and other sources rather than on primary data
collected by IIT Consortium. Likewise, most ideas and concepts used are not
original but based on literature and other sources. Thus, on the whole, the
GRBMP and its reports are an attempt to dig into the world’s collective wisdom
and distil relevant truths about the complex problem of Ganga River Basin
Management and solutions thereof.

Secondly, many dedicated people spent hours discussing major concerns,

issues and solutions to the problems addressed in GRBMP. Their dedication led
to the preparation of a comprehensive GRBMP that hopes to articulate the

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 GRBMP – January 2015: Extended Summary

outcome of the dialog in a meaningful way. Thus, directly or indirectly, many

people contributed significantly to the preparation of GRBMP. The GRBMP
therefore truly is an outcome of collective effort that reflects the cooperation
of many, particularly those who are members of the IIT Team and of the
associate organizations as well as many government departments and
individuals.

Dr Vinod Tare
Professor and Coordinator, GRBMP
IIT Kanpur

Authors
Vinod Tare ([email protected]), Gautam Roy ([email protected]) and
Purnendu Bose ([email protected])

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 GRBMP – January 2015: Extended Summary

Organizational Structure for Preparing GRBMP

NGRBA: National Ganga River Basin Authority WRM: Water Resources Management
NMCG: National Mission for Clean Ganga ENB: Ecology and Biodiversity
MoEF: Ministry of Environment and Forests FGM: Fluvial Geomorphology
MHRD: Ministry of Human Resource and Development EFL: Environmental Flows
MoWR, RD&GR: Ministry of Water Resources, River SEC: Socio Economic and Cultural
Development and Ganga Rejuvenation PLG: Policy Law and Governance
GRBMP: Ganga River Basin Management Plan GDM: Geospatial Database Management
IITC: IIT Consortium COM: Communication
PMB: Project Management Board
PICC: Project Implementation and Coordination
Committee
EQP: Environmental Quality and Pollution

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 GRBMP – January 2015: Extended Summary

Project Management Board [PMB]

Expert Members:
 Sri Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati
 Dr Madhav A Chitale
 Dr Bharat Jhunjhunwala

Project Implementati on and Coordinati on Committ ee [PICC]

Representati ves from IIT Consorti um:

 Dr Shyam Asolekar, IIT Bombay
 Dr A K Mittal, IIT Delhi
 Dr Mohammad Jawed, IIT Guwahati
 Dr Vinod Tare, IIT Kanpur
 Dr D J Sen, IIT Kharagpur
 Dr Ligy Philip, IIT Madras
 Dr I M Mishra, IIT Roorkee

Themati c Group Leads:

 Dr Purnendu Bose, Environmental Quality and Pollution (EQP)
 Dr A K Gosain, Water Resources Management (WRM)
 Dr R P Mathur, Ecology and Biodiversity (ENB)
 Dr Rajiv Sinha, Fluvial Geomorphology (FGM)
 Dr Vinod Tare, Environmental Flows (EFL)
 Dr S P Singh, Socio Economic and Cultural (SEC)
 Dr N C Narayanan and Dr Indrajit Dube, Policy Law and Governance (PLG)
 Dr Harish Karnick, Geospatial Database Management (GDM)
 Dr T V Prabhakar, Communication (COM)

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 GRBMP – January 2015: Extended Summary

Composition of Thematic Groups

1. Environmental Quality and Pollution (EQP)

Lead: Purnendu Bose, IIT Kanpur
Members: Shyam R Asolekar, Suparna Mukherjee (IIT Bombay); A K Mittal,
A K Nema, Arun Kumar, T R Sreekrishanan (IIT Delhi); Ajay Kalmhad (IIT
Guwahati); Saumyen Guha, Vinod Tare (IIT Kanpur); A K Gupta, M M
Ghangrekar, Sudha Goel (IIT Kharagpur); Ligy Philip, Mukesh Doble, R Ravi
Krishna, S M Shivnagendra (IIT Madras); A A Kazmi, B R Gurjar, Himanshu
Joshi, Indu Mehrotra, I M Mishra, Vivek Kumar (IIT Roorkee); Anirban Gupta
(BESU Shibpur); P K Singh (IIT BHU); Rakesh Kumar (NEERI Nagpur); S K
Patidar (NIT Kurukshetra); Sanmit Ahuja (ETI Dynamics, New Delhi)

2. Water Resources Management (WRM)

Lead: A K Gosain, IIT Delhi
Members: Rakesh Khosa, R Maheswaran, B R Chahar, C T Dhanya, D R
Kaushal (IIT Delhi); Subashisa Dutta, Suresh Kartha (IIT Guwahati); Shivam
Tripathi, Gautam Rai, Vinod Tare (IIT Kanpur); Anirban Dhar, D J Sen (IIT
Kharagpur); B S Murty, Balaji Narasimhan (IIT Mdras); C S P Ojha, P Perumal
(IIT Roorkee); S K Jain (NIH, Roorkee); Pranab Mohapatra (IIT Gandhi
Nagar); Sandhya Rao (INRM, New Delhi)

3. Fluvial Geomorphology (FGM)

Lead: Rajiv Sinha, IIT Kanpur
Members: Vinod Tare (IIT Kanpur); Vikrant Jain (IIT Gandhi Nagar); J K Pati
(Allahabad University); Kirteshwar Prasad, Ramesh Shukla (Patna
University); Parthasarthi Ghosh, Soumendra Nath Sarkar, Tapan
Chakarborty (ISI Kolkata); Kalyan Rudra (WBPCB); S K Tandon, Shashank
Shekhar (University of Delhi); Saumitra Mukherjee (JNU Delhi)

4. Ecology and Biodiversity (ENB)

Lead: R P Mathur, IIT Kanpur
Members: A K Thakur, Vinod Tare (IIT Kanpur); Utpal Bora (IIT Guwahati); M
D Behera (IIT Kharagpur); Naveen Navania, Partha Roy, Pruthi Vikas, R P
Singh, Ramasre Prasad, Ranjana Pathania (IIT Roorkee); Sandeep Behera
(WWF-India)

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 GRBMP – January 2015: Extended Summary

5. Socio Economic and Cultural (SEC)

Lead: S P Singh, IIT Roorkee
Members: Pushpa L Trivedi (IIT Bombay); Seema Sharma, V B Upadhyay (IIT
Delhi); P M Prasad, Vinod Tare (IIT Kanpur); Bhagirath Behera, N C Nayak,
Pulak Mishra, T N Mazumder (IIT Kharagpur); C Kumar, D K Nauriyal, Rajat
Agrawal, Vinay Sharma (IIT Roorkee)

6. Policy Law and Governance (PLG)

Lead: N C Narayanan, IIT Bombay and Indrajit Dube, IIT Kharagpur
Members: Shyam Asolekar, Subodh Wagle (IIT Bombay); Mukesh Khare (IIT
Delhi); Vinod Tare (IIT Kanpur); Deepa Dube, Uday Shankar (IIT Kharagpur);
G N Kathpalia, Paritosh Tyagi (IDC, New Delhi)

7. Geo-Spatial Database Management (GDM)

Lead: Harish Karnick, IIT Kanpur
Members: N L Sharda, Smriti Sengupta (IIT Bombay); A K Gosain (IIT Delhi);
Arnab Bhattacharya, Kritika Venkatramani, Rajiv Sinha, T V Prabhakar,
Vinod Tare (IIT Kanpur)

8. Communication (COM)
Lead: T V Prabhakar, IIT Kanpur
Members: Purnendu Bose, Rajiv Sinha, Vinod Tare (IIT Kanpur)

9. Environmental Flows (EFL)

Lead: Vinod Tare, IIT Kanpur
Members: Shyam Asolekar (IIT Bombay); A K Gosain (IIT Delhi); P M Prasad,
R P Mathur, Rajiv Sinha, Shivam Tripathi (IIT Kanpur); M D Behara (IIT
Kharagpur); B S Murthy, N Balaji (IIT Madras); Pranab Mohaparta, Vikrant
Jain (IIT Gandhinagar); S K Jain (NIH Roorkee); Nitin Kaushal (WWF-India,
New Delhi); Sandeep Behera (NMCG, MoWR, RD & GR, New Delhi); A P
Sharma K D Joshi (CIFRI, Barrackpore); Ravindra Kumar (SWaRA-UP); Ravi
Chopra (PSI, Dehradoon); Paritosh Tyagi, (IDC, New Delhi)

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Abbreviations and Acronyms

1. E-Flows : Environmental Flows.
2. IITC : IIT Consortium.
3. GRBMP : Ganga River Basin Management Plan.
4. MND : Mission Nirmal Dhara.
5. MoEF : Ministry of Environment and Forests.
6. MoEFCC : Ministry of Environment and Forests & Climate
Change.
7. MoWR : Ministry of Water Resources.
8. MoWRRDGR : Ministry of Water Resources, River
Development & Ganga Rejuvenation.
9. NGRBA : National Ganga River Basin Authority.
10. NMCG : National Mission for Clean Ganga.
11. NRGB : National River Ganga Basin.
12. NRGBMC : National River Ganga Basin Management
Commission.
13. URMP : Urban River Management Plan.

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Contents
Page

Preface i
Organizational Structure for Preparing GRBMP iii
Composition of Thematic Group v
Abbreviations and Acronyms vii
List of Figures xi
1 Introduction 1
1.1 River Ganga in Indian Consciousness 1
1.2 Deterioration of River Ganga 1
1.3 GRBMP’s Goal 1
1.4 Functional Unity of the Ganga Basin 2
1.5 Importance of the Himalaya Mountains 2
1.6 Principle of Natural Resource Management in NRGB 2
1.7 Philosophy 3
1.8 Degradation Processes in NRGB and their Anthropogenic Causes 3
1.9 Impact on Humans 3
1.10 Scope for Interventions 4

2 Key Features of National River Ganga Basin 5

2.1 River Network 5
2.2 Basin Hydrology 5
2.3 Defining River Ganga 6
2.4 Geology 7
2.5 Wetlands 7
2.6 Fluvial Geomorphology 8
2.7 River Biodiversity 9

3 Vision, Mission, and Conceptual Framework 9

3.1 Vision of Ganga River 9
3.2 Objectives of GRBMP 10
3.3 Formulation of Missions 10
3.4 Conceptual Framework 11
3.5 Work Structure 12

4 Mission Summaries 13
4.1 Aviral Dhara 13
4.1.1 Importance of Aviral Dhara 13

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Page

4.1.2 Water Storage and Demand Control 13

4.1.3 Dams, Barrages and E-Flows 13
4.1.4 Hydrological Modeling of NRGB 15
4.1.5 Sediment Resources of National River Ganga 16
4.1.6 Recommended Actions 17
4.2 Nirmal Dhara 18
4.2.1 Importance of Nirmal Dhara 18
4.2.2 Type of Anthropogenic Wastes 18
4.2.3 Measures Needed to Achieve Nirmal Dhara 19
4.2.4 Recommended Actions 19
4.2.5 Implementation Scheme 20
4.3 Ecological Restoration 21
4.3.1 Need for Ecological Restoration 21
4.3.2 Threats to River Biodiversity 22
4.3.3 Recommended Actions 23
4.4 Sustainable Agriculture 23
4.4.1 Importance of Sustainable Agriculture 23
4.4.2 Recommended Actions 24
4.5 Geological Safeguarding 25
4.5.1 Importance of Geological Safeguarding 25
4.5.2 Recommended Actions 25
4.6 Basin Protection Against Disasters 25
4.6.1 Importance of Basin Protection Against Disasters 25
4.6.2 Recommended Actions 26
4.7 River Hazards Management 26
4.7.1 Importance of River Hazards Management 26
4.7.2 Recommended Actions 27
4.8 Environmental Knowledge-Building and Sensitization 28
4.8.1 Importance of Environmental Knowledge-Building and
Sensitization 28
4.8.2 Recommended Actions 28
5 Recommendations for Implementation 29
5.1 Specific Actions 29
5.2 Envisaged Consequences 29
5.3 Implementation Mechanism 30
6 GRBMP Documentation 30
List of Figures

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Figure Page

1 Major Adverse Impacts of Modern Anthropogenic Activities on NRGB 4

2 Main River Basins of India showing the Ganga River Basin (Yellow Region)
Marked as “2a” 6
3 Major Lakes and Wetlands of NRGB 8
4 Geomorphic Map of Ganga River Valley 9
5 Target Missions to achieve Vision of a wholesome National River Ganga 11
6 Flow Diagram of GRBMP Work Structure 12
7 Location Map of E-Flows Sites in the Upper Ganga 14
8 Computed 10-daily E-Flows at Ranari, Dharasu 15
9 Average (1969-2006) Annual Water Balance of the Modeled Ganga Basin 16
10 Annual Flow Contributions of Different Tributaries (sub-basins) to
National River Ganga under Present Flow Conditions and under Virgin
Flow Conditions 16
11 Comparison of the Annual Average Sediment Loads (for period 1999-
2006) at Different Locations of National River Ganga 17
12 Types of Waste Generated in Ganga River Basin 18
13 Most Polluted Stretches and their Pollution Sources in National River
Ganga Basin 21
14 Decline of Fish Catch per km at Allahabad between 1950 to 2010 22
15 Biodiversity of River Ganga at a Glance 22
16 Average Crop Output Value per District in NRGB between 1962-65 and
2003-06 24
17 Major Sectors Likely to be Influenced by GRBMP Action Plan 29
18 Implementation Challenges in Aligning Interests of Key Actors 30

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1. Introduction
1.1. River Ganga in Indian Consciousness
River Ganga, along with her many tributaries, has been the source of physical
and spiritual sustenance of Indian civilization for millennia. And all through the
ages, Indians held the munificent River Ganga as a Divine Body. To the Indian
mind, River Ganga is not only the holiest of rivers and purifier of mortal beings,
but also a living Goddess – MOTHER GANGA! Her exalted status in Indian
consciousness has been aptly encapsulated in the following words of Sri
Krishna in Bhagavad Gita:

I am the wind among things of purification, and among warriors I am Rama,

the hero supreme. Of the fishes in the sea I am Makara, the wonderful, and
among all rivers the holy Ganges.
-Bhagavad Gita; Verse 31, Chapter 10

1.2. Deterioration of River Ganga

Despite being nationally revered, River Ganga has been deteriorating
noticeably over a long time, at least since large scale water abstractions
through canal systems began in the mid-nineteenth century. Her degradation
gradually became multi-faceted and accelerated in recent decades, while
attempts to keep the river clean through conventional pollution control
methods have proved ineffective.

1.3. GRBMP’s Goal

River Ganga was declared as India’s National River by the Indian Government
in 2008, thereby implying her well-being to be of prime national concern.
Hence the main goal of GRBMP is to restore the wholesomeness of National
River Ganga and her basin.

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1.4. Functional Unity of the Ganga Basin

A river basin is the area of land from which the river provides the only exit
route for surface flows. Functionally, a basin is a closely connected
hydrological-ecological system. Hydrological connections include surface
runoff, flooding, local/ regional evapotranspiration-precipitation cycles, and
groundwater flow. Ecological links are many – from complex food webs to
different types of biological agents. These linkages provide for extensive
material transport and communication between the river and her basin. On
account of the manifold hydrological-ecological connections, National River
Ganga – besides being a prime source of material and spiritual resources on
her own – is the key indicator of the health of her basin. Hence, the Ganga
River Network was adopted in GRBMP as the primary environmental indicator
of NRGB (National River Ganga Basin).

1.5. Importance of the Himalaya Mountains

The Himalayan glacier-fed head-streams of National River Ganga, as also her

many Himalayan tributaries, bring in considerable water, sediment and
nutrients into the river almost round-the-year, thus ensuring perennial life-
giving flow in the river and fertility to her floodplains. The Himalayan
connection thus plays a significant role in the basin dynamics.

1.6. Principle of Natural Resource Management in NRGB

The natural resources of NRGB are its abiotic or physical resources (mainly
soil/silt, water, and the nutrients bound up with them) and its biotic resources
(plants, animals and microbes). Together, these resources are invaluable for
basin functioning, but they are interdependent through various physical and
ecological processes prevalent in the basin. Proper understanding of the
basin’s resource dynamics is, therefore, pivotal in managing NRGB efficiently.
Hence, unlike conventional basin management in India that considers mainly
water resource management, GRBMP attempts to focus on comprehensive
natural resource management in NRGB.

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1.7. Philosophy

The philosophical basis of GRBMP is that NRGB is a common heritage which

must be preserved in order to ensure its life-enhancing value. Hence, if the
basin is degrading due to unrestrained anthropogenic activities, then we must
curtail or regulate such activities as well as introduce specific measures for
environmental restoration and strengthening of the basin.

1.8. Degradation Processes in NRGB and their Anthropogenic

Causes
With proliferation and diversification of human activities having harmful
environmental effects, National River Ganga and her basin have been
degrading rapidly. The degradations are due to five main causes, viz.: (i) over-
use of natural resources of the basin; (ii) discharge of pollutants into terrestrial
and aquatic environments; (iii) reduction in water-holding capacities and
replenishment of water bodies; (iv) mutilation of rivers by piecemeal
engineering operations; and (v) threats to geological processes in the basin.
The major human activities causing the above damages may also be clubbed
under five main heads as shown in Figure 1, viz.: (i) Industrialization, (ii)
Urbanization, (iii) Lifestyle Changes, (iv) Agriculture & Other Rural Activities,
and (v) Deforestation/ Denudation. This broad grouping indicates the key
factors underlying basin degradation; however, devising appropriate remedial
interventions requires in-depth analysis of the problems.

1.9. Impact on Humans

The direct impact of NRGB’s degradation on humans are the losses of

“ecosystem services” namely, provisioning services (e.g. food, freshwater,
fibres, energy), regulating services (e.g. flood attenuation, groundwater
recharge, prevention of salt water intrusion), supporting services (e.g. nutrient
recycling, soil formation, biodiversity maintenance), and cultural services (e.g.
recreation, spiritual fulfilment). Even without quantitative valuation, it is
certain that these losses are significant in NRGB.

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Figure 1: Major Adverse Impacts of Modern Anthropogenic Activities on

NRGB

1.10. Scope for Interventions

Among the five main types of environmentally significant human activities

stated above, the first three concern profit-making activities or activities of
relatively affluent sections of society. Hence, it must be feasible to review
these activities and modify them at some cost in order to minimize their
adverse environmental impacts. Other activities – such as rural and agricultural
activities – often concern basic needs and livelihoods of relatively poor or
marginal sections of society, who may not be able to bear the cost of such
interventions. But, in such cases too, suitable means must be devised to abate
the negative impacts and ensure a wholesome environment in NRGB.

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2. Key Features of National River Ganga Basin

2.1. River Network

National River Ganga (see Figure 2) originates in the Himalayas from several
major head-streams namely, Alaknanda, Bhagirathi, Bhilangana, Dhauliganga,
Mandakini, Nandakini and Pindar – which progressively join together on or
before Devaprayag. Descending in the plains, the river flows approximately
southeast and is joined by several large streams such as Ramganga, Yamuna,
Kosi, Gandak, Gomti, Sone, Karamnasa and Ghaghra to become an immense
river downstream of Allahabad. The river then flows through the Rajmahal hills
and divides into two branches. The eastern branch – River Padma – flows
southeast through Bangladesh to join the Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers
before flowing into the sea. The south-flowing branch – River Hooghly – is
joined by the Damodar and Mayurakshi before reaching the sea. The combined
outfall of the two branches forms the world’s largest delta (the “Sundarban
Delta” covering about 60,000 sq.km.) stretching across Bangladesh and West
Bengal. Overall, River Ganga is more than 2500 km long.

2.2. Basin Hydrology

The Ganga Basin, spread over four nations (India, Nepal, China and
Bangladesh) covers an area of about 1,080,000 km 2, of which the NRGB,
comprising about 80% of the total Ganga basin area, lies within India. The
NRGB is the largest river basin of India, covering more than 26% of her
geographical area. And out of India’s total renewable water availability of
1,869 km3/yr, NRGB’s share is 525 km3/yr. Thus, it is a large water-rich basin
that supports about 43% of India’s population.

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Figure 2: Main River Basins of India showing the Ganga River Basin (Yellow
Region) Marked as “2a” [India-WRIS, 2012]

2.3. Defining River Ganga

River Ganga is defined herein as comprising of six main headstreams

originating in the Himalayas, namely the Alaknanda, Dhauli Ganga, Nandakini,
Pinder, Mandakini and Bhagirathi rivers starting from their feeding glaciers up
to their respective confluences (together comprising the Upper Ganga
segment), the subsequent main stem of the river downstream from Rishikesh
to Varanasi (the Middle Ganga segment), and the final stretch from Varanasi to
Ganga Sagar (the Lower Ganga segment).

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2.4. Geology

NRGB is part of the tectonically active foreland basin of the Himalayan

mountain range formed by collision of the Indian tectonic plate with the
Eurasian plate more than fifty million years ago. Thus, much of NRGB consists
of alluvial plains formed during the Tertiary and Quaternary periods by flood
deposits of Himalayan and to some extent peninsular rivers. Due to ongoing
tectonic processes resulting in high sediment erosion, the Ganga river network
not only conveys water, but also transfers enormous amounts of sediments to
the sea. The alluvial deposits of the basin constitute large and highly
productive multi-aquifer systems in NRGB, which are a major storehouse of
ground water. The soils of the basin are also largely alluvial, with mountain
soils, terai soils and black soils towards the mountain ranges in the north and
west of the basin.

2.5. Wetlands

There are many lakes, tanks and marshes in NRGB, vide Figure 3. They include
large lakes as well as a large number of wetlands spread across the basin – in
the mountainous Himalayan region, the Himalayan terai region, the Gangetic
plains, and the coastal deltaic region – which together support diverse
ecosystems in different geomorphic and climatic settings. Several of NRGB’s
wetlands are home to specialized flora and fauna as well as migratory species
which fulfil crucial ecological and social functions.

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Figure 3: Major Lakes and Wetlands of NRGB [Adapted from:

Rainwaterharvesting, 2013]

2.6. Fluvial Geomorphology

National River Ganga’s headstreams are fast-flowing mountainous rivers

cutting through deep gorges and narrow valleys, the Middle Ganga stretch is
multi-channel (braided) draining through relatively flat plains in the south, and
the Lower Ganga segment tends to form a distributary system in the delta
region. The fluvial pattern was affected by the geological evolution of NRGB.
Near the Himalayan front, valley formation and incision were affected by both
tectonic and climatic factors; strongly incised valley formation in the western
and southern plains were controlled mainly by climatic factors; and fluvial
geomorphology in the lower Ganga plains and the delta region were much
influenced by sea level fluctuations, besides climate and tectonics. Detailed
maps show significant diversity of valley widths and geomorphic features in
different reaches of the river, which have strong implications for the
hydrological regime and ecological health of NRGB. Figure 4 shows the valley
map of the Middle and Lower Ganga stretches from Rishikesh to Farakka.

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Figure 4: Geomorphic Map of Ganga River Valley

2.7. River Biodiversity

The biodiversity of National River Ganga uniquely synthesizes three different

eco-regions of India situated along climatic gradients, namely the Himalayas,
the Gangetic plains and the Deltaic region. The river’s biodiversity comprises
periphytons, phytoplanktons and macrophytes which are producers, and
zooplanktons, zoobenthos, fish and higher aquatic vertebrates which are
consumers of the food produced. Together, these micro- and macro-
organisms, through their interplay with the abiotic environment, represent the
ecological status of National River Ganga.

3. Vision, Mission, and Conceptual Framework

3.1. Vision of Ganga River

In order to preserve and invigorate National River Ganga, her essential

character needs to be grasped in a holistic manner. After extensive research
and consultations, the “wholesomeness of National River Ganga”, viewed from

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a dynamic perspective, was determined to be the sanctity of the river system

imbibed in the four points stated below:
i. “Aviral Dhara” (i.e. “Continuous Flow”): The flow of water, sediments
and other natural constituents of River Ganga are continuous and
adequate over the entire length of the river throughout the year.
ii. “Nirmal Dhara” (i.e.“Unpolluted Flow”): The flow in the Ganga River
Network is bereft of manmade pollution; hence the river water quality
should not be sullied by human activities.
iii. Geologic Entity: The Ganga River System is the earth’s creations of
ancient times, which may not be repairable if damaged.
iv. Ecological Entity: The Ganga River System is a delicately structured
balance between various living species and the physical environment,
achieved by nature over thousands of years and vulnerable to
irreversible changes.

3.2. Objectives of GRBMP

Based on the above vision and societal needs, the main objectives of GRBMP
are identified as the following:
a) Environmental Flows shall be maintained in all rivers and tributaries of
Ganga River System to fulfil their geological, ecological, socio-economic
and cultural functions.
b) Water quality in all rivers and tributaries of Ganga River System shall be
consistent with their governing geological, ecological, socio-economic
and cultural functions.
c) Water and other aquatic resources of the Ganga River System shall be
used judiciously to enable sustainable development in the entire NRGB.
d) All existing, ongoing and planned anthropogenic activities in NRGB shall
be reviewed or scrutinized in a transparent, inclusive manner (with
consensus of all affected people and stakeholders) for the overall health
of NRGB.

3.3. Formulation of Missions

Given the escalating impacts of human activities on NRGB, the above

objectives guided the formulation of eight important areas where restorative

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actions need to be carried out in Mission mode, viz.: “Aviral Dhara”, “Nirmal
Dhara”, “Ecological Restoration”, “Sustainable Agriculture”, “Geological
Safeguarding”, “Basin Protection Against Disasters”, “River Hazard
Management” and “Environmental Knowledge-Building and Sensitization”.
The Vision and Missions of GRBMP are depicted in Figure 5.

Figure 5: Target Missions to fulfill the Vision of a wholesome National

River Ganga

3.4. Conceptual Framework

Based on the above Vision and the awareness of social needs, the main
objective of GRBMP was identified as the formulation of policy frameworks (or
“Action Plans”) in the background of ongoing anthropogenic activities in NRGB.
The basic approach in this framework action plan is: “Apply modern science
and technology in conjunction with traditional wisdom”, viz.:

3.5. Work Structure

11
 GRBMP – January 2015: Extended Summary

The task of analysing and preparing the GRBMP was broken up from the whole
to the parts into several thematic groups as follows: Environmental Quality and
Pollution (EQP), Water Resources Management (WRM), Fluvial
Geomorphology (FGM), Ecology and Biodiversity (ENB), Socio-economic and
Socio-Cultural (SEC), Policy, Law and Governance (PLG), Geo-Spatial Database
Management (GDM), and Communication (COM), plus a cross-thematic group
on Environmental Flows (or E-flows), vide Figure 6.

Figure 6: Flow Diagram of GRBMP Work Structure

4. Mission Summaries
4.1. Mission 1 – Aviral Dhara

12
 GRBMP – January 2015: Extended Summary

4.1.1 Importance of Aviral Dhara: Aviral Dhara – or the continuous flow of

water, sediments and other natural constituents – in National River Ganga was
achieved through long-term balance between various dynamic parameters
such as water and sediment flow rates, influent/ effluent seepage rates, and
terrain gradient. Modern anthropogenic activities have violated the balance
by: (a) erecting dams and barrages that snap a river’s longitudinal connectivity
and alter its flow regime, and (b) by significant water withdrawals, debris
disposal, and altered water recharge rates. Hence the river network has
become emaciated, as reflected in the loss of river biodiversity and the strain
on goods and services emanating from it. Thus there is urgent need to restore
Aviral Dhara throughout the river network.

4.1.2 Water Storage and Demand Control: Both longitudinal connectivity and
adequate flows in rivers are essential to maintain Aviral Dhara. But having
adequate river flows depends on the basin’s overall water status. While
information is limited, available data show that anthropogenic water use has
been increasing rapidly in the basin, probably beyond its renewal capacity.
Hence, (i) water availability in the basin must be increased through increased
storage, (preferably by “distributed storage” in water bodies and aquifers); and
(ii) water demands must be reduced through more efficient water use. These
issues call for technical interventions as well as changes in policies on NRGB’s
water resource management.

4.1.3 Dams, Barrages and E-Flows: The Ganga river network is intercepted by
numerous dams and barrages, and many new projects have been planned. But
dams and barrages affect river morphology, stability and ecological balance,
fertility of the river and its floodplains, nature of flood events, human health,
and basin performance. Hence dams and barrages must permit longitudinal
connectivity and allow E-Flows (Environmental Flows) in rivers. Towards this
end, a method for ensuring longitudinal river connectivity with E-Flows
passage through dams/barrages is suggested. A comprehensive set of criteria
has also been proposed to define environmental clearance requirements for
dams/ barrages based on 4 categories of their environmental impacts. For
dams, barrages, canal outlets, weirs and other structures that alter river flow
regimes, the maintenance of E-flows (with commensurate sediment loads) is
essential. Hence, a reliable method for estimating E-Flows for specific river

13
 GRBMP – January 2015: Extended Summary

stretches was also developed and demonstrated for select locations in the
Upper Ganga basin (see Figure 7) where undisturbed river flows before the
construction of dams, etc., are known. Illustrative results for computed E-Flows
at one such site (Ranari, Dharasu) are shown in Figure 8.

Figure 7: Location Map of E-Flows Sites in the Upper Ganga

Figure 8: Computed 10-daily E-Flows at Ranari, Dharasu

14
 GRBMP – January 2015: Extended Summary

4.1.4 Hydrological Modeling of NRGB: Dynamic modeling of surface flows in

the combined Ganga basin area of India and Nepal was carried out using SWAT
model. Raw data used included static spatial data, dynamic hydro-
meteorological data, and water demand and abstraction data. Model
simulation was carried out for the period 1969–2006, and the results were
calibrated with river discharges. Groundwater modelling was carried out using
MODFLOW computer model for the alluvium part of the basin. Modeling
efforts were constrained by limitations of data of precipitation, canal water
diversions, irrigation practices, nearly half of the 206 dams/ reservoirs, etc.,
besides limitations on quality of data for land use, groundwater abstractions,
etc. The summary model outcome, vide Figure 9, shows that streamflow and
evapotranspiration are the two main components of water outgo from the
modeled basin area, with evapotranspiration being about 41-42% of
precipitation. Model estimates of “virgin flows” and “present managed flows”
in major rivers of the network are presented, vide Figure 10.

Groundwater Recharge 274.8

Baseflow 202.4

Evapotranspiration 496.5

Snowmelt 12.2

Water yield 601.6

Rainfall 1167.5

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400

Value (mm)

Figure 9: Average (1969-2006) Annual Water Balance of the

Modeled Ganga Basin

15
 GRBMP – January 2015: Extended Summary

Figure 10: Annual Flow Contributions of Different Tributaries (sub-basins) to

National River Ganga under Present Flow Conditions and under
Virgin Flow Conditions
4.1.5 Sediment Resources of National River Ganga: Water-borne sediments
play a vital role in the dynamics and ecology of the Ganga River Network, but
their nutrient value is unknown. A reliable sediment budget of the basin is also
unavailable, but the river’s suspended sediment load is generally reported at
between 500 to 800 million T/yr, and the total sediment load at about 2400
million T/yr – which are very high for any world river. Based on available data,
the average annual and seasonal suspended sediment loads at different
stations on National River Ganga were computed, vide Figure 11. Surprisingly,
the average suspended sediment load at Farakka during the period 1999–2006
was found to be only 177 million T/year – much less than earlier estimates. The
sediment load also showed major spatial variations, suggesting different
aggrading and degrading river reaches.
LoadSediment

(as % ofDischarge

22500... Feeder Canal Sediment Load

20000... Sediment Load
Avg Sediment Load 80%
17500... Discharge(Normalized)
15000...
12500... 60%
10000... Measuring Station
Figure 11: Comparison
7500...
of the Annual Average Sediment Loads (for period 40%
1999-2006)
5000... at Different Locations of National River Ganga 20%
2500...
0 0%
4.1.6 Recommended 1 Actions:
2 3 4 The 5 6main 7 actions
8 9 recommended
10 11 12 13 are: (1)
Determination of NRGB’s hydrological status more accurately and in greater
detail. (2) Preparation of water resources plan for NRGB with emphasis on
wetlands, forests and distributed groundwater and surface water storages

16
 GRBMP – January 2015: Extended Summary

rather than large reservoirs storages. (3) Increase in anthropogenic water use
efficiency through: (i) realistic pricing of fresh water; (ii) incentives, technical
assistance, and allocation of water rights and entitlements to consumers; and
(iii) reuse and recycling of water. (4) Governmental policy shift to bring NRGB’s
waters under natural resource management, with emphasis on resource
preservation, stakeholder control, expert guidance and regulation. (5) Ensuring
longitudinal river connectivity and E-Flows at dams, barrages and other
manmade interferences, and adoption of new criteria for approving such
projects. (6) Control of water withdrawals in water-depleting regions.
(7) Assessment and monitoring of sediment resources of the network including
the quantity, quality and nutrient value of sediments trapped behind dams.
(8) Research to determine ecological limits, thresholds and interconnections of
NRGB’s water resources, and river flow health assessments within the
framework of ecohydrology.

4.2. Mission 2 – Nirmal Dhara

4.2.1 Importance of Nirmal Dhara: Ganga river’s water quality had been
acclaimed in ancient times. Its life-giving and healing qualities are evident from
the following description in Rajanirghanta ( ~300 AD) meaning “The qualities of
Ganga water are: Coolness, sweetness, transparency, high tonic property,
wholesomeness, potability, ability to remove evils, ability to resuscitate from
swoon caused by dehydration, digestive property and ability to retain wisdom”:

In modern times, however, the Ganga River System’s water quality has been
significantly affected by disposal of anthropogenic wastes into the rivers which
has caused enormous harm to river biota and the ecosystem goods and
services of the river network. This underscores the necessity for restoring
unpolluted flows in the river system.

4.2.2 Type of Anthropogenic Wastes: Anthropogenic wastes disposed in the

Ganga River System, graphically shown in Figure 12, include both solid and
liquid wastes of hazardous and non-hazardous types generated from domestic,

17
 GRBMP – January 2015: Extended Summary

industrial and agricultural sources. Liquid wastes from large urban centres and
industries are major point sources of pollution, while surface runoff containing
agrochemicals and entrained solid wastes are some major non-point pollution
sources.
Waste Irrigation
s Return
Soli Liqui Flows
Non Point
d d
Non- Hazardo Storm Runoff
Hazardous us
Point Industrial

Oth
ers
Domesti Textile
Cities Pulp &
c Tannerie Paper
Clas Class s
Villages Sugar &
sI III
Clas Distillery
s II
Figure 12: Types of Waste Generated in Ganga River Basin

4.2.3 Measures Needed to Achieve Nirmal Dhara: To check river pollution in

the Ganga River Network, it is necessary to: (A) Prohibit major pollutant
ingresses into rivers (hence adopting ZLD or Zero Liquid Discharge) by
discharge of sewage (either treated or untreated) from Class I towns; discharge
of industrial effluents (either treated or untreated) from any large, medium or
cluster of small industries; direct injection of sewage and industrial effluents
(either treated or untreated) into the subsurface; disposal of un-burnt and
partially burnt corpses and animal carcasses in rivers; open defecation and
dumping of municipal/industrial solid wastes or sludge in any river or its active
flood plain; and construction of new residential, commercial or industrial
structures in river flood plains. (B) Restrict other pollutant discharges by
discharge of sewage (either treated or untreated) from Class II and smaller
towns and villages; disposal of sewage or industrial treatment sludges except
in secure landfills/hazardous waste sites; discharge of industrial effluents
(either treated or untreated) from small scale industry; disposal and/or
discharge of mining and construction debris in any river or its floodplains; river
bed farming and agricultural activities in active flood plains; ritual immersion of
idols; and floral and other offerings in rivers, washing of clothes, vehicles, etc.,
in rivers, and usage of agrochemicals in NRGB.

18
 GRBMP – January 2015: Extended Summary

4.2.4 Recommended Actions: In keeping with the above requirements, the

main recommendations are grouped under the following heads:
(1) Management of Solid and Liquid Wastes Generated from Domestic/
Commercial Sources; (2) Riverfront Development, Floodplain Management and
Rejuvenation of Water Bodies; (3) Management of Solid and Liquid Waste
Generated from Industrial Sources; and (4) Management of Polluted
Agricultural Runoff. Effective co-ordination of these activities is envisaged
through a high-level constitutional body tentatively named the ‘National River
Ganga Basin Management Commission’ (NRGBMC), pending whose formation
the NMCG or some other dedicated government body may coordinate the
activities. Project planning for urban works should begin with preparation of
detailed Urban River Management Plans (URMP) for Class I towns, and
subsequently also for Class II and Class III towns. The URMPs should be
followed by preparation of DPRs, following which funds should be allocated for
project implementation. Fund allocation should be prioritized for projects
designed to prevent direct discharge of large quantities of liquid waste into the
River System (Priority Level I), followed by projects designed to prevent direct
discharge of large quantities of solid waste into the River System (Priority Level
II), followed by projects concerning river-frame development and restoration
of floodplain in urban areas along the Ganga River System (Priority Level III).
Other projects under Mission Nirmal Dhara (MND) may be executed at still
lower priority depending on availability of funds.

4.2.5 Implementation Scheme: Financing of the above projects may be

obtained from central/state governments, local revenue, corporate and private
donations and grants, low cost debt from international organizations,
commercial debts from banks and private equity. Category A and Category B
projects are recommended for execution through the PPP route (such as the
DBFO model) with initial investment from the service provider, while Category
C projects may be executed by the concerned industries themselves and
through SPVs for industrial clusters. Category D projects may be synergistically
executed with other government projects as per actions required under other
Missions of GRBMP. It is also recommended that the most polluted reaches of
the river network be first targeted under MND. Thus, several major towns have
been identified for priority action regarding sewage management on River

19
 GRBMP – January 2015: Extended Summary

Yamuna (Delhi, Faridabad, Vrindavan, Mathura and Agra), Ramganga

(Moradabad), Gomti (Lucknow), and Ganga (Haridwar, Garhmukhteshwar,
Kanpur, Allahabad and Varanasi), as shown in Figure 13. For overall
implementation of MND recommendations in NRGB, financial work packages
have been estimated for different categories of projects. Appropriate
monitoring and feedback mechanism has also been suggested for sustainability
of the projects.

Figure 13: Most Polluted Stretches and their Pollution Sources in National
River Ganga Basin

4.3. Mission 3 – Ecological Restoration

4.3.1 Need for Ecological Restoration: Ecological restoration of National River

Ganga is urgently needed since river biodiversity is being rapidly lost. A rough
idea of the loss of species biodiversity in the river is evident from the
progressive loss of fish catch at Allahabad since 1950, vide Figure 14. In

20
 GRBMP – January 2015: Extended Summary

general, the biodiversity of River Ganga is unique, as it synthesizes three major

eco-regions of India situated along different climatic gradients, namely: the
Himalayan mountainous region in the upper reach, the Gangetic plains in the
middle reach, and the estuarine region (including the Hooghly-Matlah delta) in
the lower reach. The overall biological profile of River Ganga is depicted in
Figure 15.
1600

1400 1343.64
1168.03
1200

1000
Catch/Km (Kg)

800 664.88
600 529.7

400 332.57 361.5 300

200

0
1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
Decades

Figure 14: Decline of Fish Catch per km at Allahabad between 1950 to 2010

Overall Biological Profile of Ganga River

1.Phytoplankton Periphyton Zooplankton Zoobenthos Fish Higher Vertebrates

1099 Taxa 294 Taxa 295 Taxa

15 Protozons 73 Families of Insects 13 Hard and soft

320 Diatoms (Bacillariophyceae) Turtles species
120 Rotifers 113 Molluscs
361 Green algae (Chlorophyceae) < 200 Ghariyal
74 Cladocerans 18 Echinoderms
344 Blue green algae (Myxophyceae) 1382 Gangatic
31 Copepods 88 Annelids
74 others (Chrysophyceae, Cryptophyceae, Dolphins
24 Crustaceans* 186 Arthropods**
Xanthophyceae, Rhodophyceae,
26 Cnidarians
Euglinophyceae, Dianophyceae,
4 Chaetognaths
Phaeophyceae)

* Other crustaceans; ** Arthropods including (Crustacea, Ostracoda and Arachnida)

Figure 15: Biodiversity of River Ganga at a Glance

21
 GRBMP – January 2015: Extended Summary

4.3.2 Threats to River Biodiversity: Eight main factors affecting the habitat of
aquatic species of National River Ganga and causing loss of her biodiversity
were identified, viz.: (i) Habitat Fragmentation by dams and barrages; (ii)
Habitat Shrinkage due to increased water diversions and withdrawals from
rivers; (iii) Habitat Alterations by gravel and sand mining from river beds and
construction of embankments, levees, guide walls, etc.; (iv) Habitat Pollution
by influx of municipal, industrial and agricultural wastes; (v) Habitat Invasion
by alien river species; (vi) Habitat Encroachment by constructions in floodplains
and river bed farming; (vii) Habitat Disturbances by plying of noisy vessels,
dredging, etc.; and (viii) Habitat Malnutrition by the trapping of nutrient-rich
sediments behind dams and other structures.

4.3.3 Recommended Actions: Given the above threat factors, the measures
recommended are: (1) Restoration of longitudinal connectivity along with E-
flows at dams, barrages and other obstructions. (2) Maintenance of lateral
connectivity across floodplains. (3) Restoration of unpolluted river flows.
(4) Restrictions on river bed farming and gravel-and sand-mining from river
beds. (5) Restrictions on plying of noisy vessels, dredging, and bed and bank
modifications. (6) Control of alien species invasions, overfishing and fishing
during spawning seasons. (7) River nutrient assessment and release of
sediments trapped behind dams/barrages into downstream river reaches.
(8) Long-term bio-monitoring of the Ganga river network. (9) Synergising
actions under this mission with the Dolphin Conservation Action Plan – 2010.
(10) Comprehensive research on the ecological dynamics of the Ganga River
System.

4.4. Mission 4 – Sustainable Agriculture

4.4.1 Importance of Sustainable Agriculture: Modern agricultural practices

have been major causes of soil degradation and fertility loss, pollution of water
bodies, and natural resource depletion in NRGB. Hence transition to
sustainable agriculture is urgently needed to maintain NRGB’s ecosystem
services. Arable land is the major constraint for agricultural growth in NRGB
and water availability is a second major constraint. Yet, agricultural growth in
NRGB almost quadrupled in forty years since the 1960s by adopting high-yield
crops with high inputs of fertilizer and water, vide Figure 16. But intensive

22
 GRBMP – January 2015: Extended Summary

conventional agricultural practices with abundant use of water, agrochemicals,

soil tillage, and mono-cropping practices have increased soil erosion and
degradation, depleted soil nutrients and soil biodiversity, dwindled the basin’s
waters, and polluted its ecosystems. Hence urgent reforms are needed to
combat these negatives with practicable measures.
6
5.24
Crop Output (in Rs Billion)

5
4.32
4
2.9
3
2.31
1.97
2

0
1962-65 1970-73 1980-83 1990-93 2003-06
Year

Figure 16: Average Crop Output Value per District in NRGB between 1962-
65 and 2003-06
4.4.2 Recommended Actions: The main reforms recommended to minimize
negative environmental impacts on NRGB while maintaining agricultural
productivity and economic viability are identified as: (1) Adoption of
Conservation Agriculture (involving no tillage, crop diversification, and
permanent organic soil cover), especially in degrading lands, to enhance long-
term soil fertility and agricultural output. (2) Promotion of Organic Farming
where essential and/or economically feasible. (3) Economically beneficial
improvements in water and nutrient application techniques in rice cultivation,
especially by SRI (i.e. System of Rice Intensification) and Urea Deep Placement.
(4) Promoting other established resource conservation technologies where
feasible. (5) Promoting regional (landscape-scale) resource conservation steps
to counter monotonous agro-ecosystem impacts. (6) Infusing experimentation,
adaptability and flexibility in NRGB’s agricultural practices to synthesize
traditional knowledge with ongoing and future scientific discoveries. (7)
Devising appropriate policy measures to implement the above

23
 GRBMP – January 2015: Extended Summary

recommendations within the existing socio-cultural, economic and institutional

framework prevalent in different regions of NRGB.

4.5. Mission 5 – Geological Safeguarding

4.5.1 Importance of Geological Safeguarding: Geologically, river networks

tend to achieve equilibrium between tectonic uplift and erosional phenomena
in the basins, but both factors have come under significant anthropogenic
influence in modern times. Hence geological safeguarding and
geomorphological upkeep of the basin are of key importance for the integrity
and functional stability of NRGB. The identified geological vulnerabilities of
NRGB include disruptive underground activities such as excavations,
explosions, tunneling, mining, fracking, and over-withdrawal of ground-water
from confined and semi-confined aquifers, as well as over-ground activities
such as the operation of large reservoirs. Anthropogenic geomorphological
damages are identified to be primarily due to harmful land-uses that enhance
erosional stresses.

4.5.2 Recommended Actions: The recommended actions are: (1) Control/

restriction of geologically hazardous activities including deep groundwater
withdrawals, underground excavations, explosions, tunnelling, mining,
fracking, and operation of large reservoirs. (2) Region-specific restrictions on
geo-morphologically harmful land-use practices such as deforestation and
construction activities on hill slopes and in floodplains, excessive agricultural
tillage, sand and gravel mining from river beds, and river bank modifications.
(3) Drainage improvement of low-lying areas and stabilization of disturbed
areas. (4) Mapping river migration zones, and continuous geological
monitoring of NRGB.

4.6. Mission 6 – Basin Protection Against Disasters

4.6.1 Importance of Basin Protection Against Disasters: NRGB is prone to

catastrophic natural disasters that can significantly harm the basin’s
ecosystems, and such disasters have been highly accentuated by modern
anthropogenic activities. Hence special measures are needed to protect the
basin against natural disasters. But out of many natural disasters that affect

24
 GRBMP – January 2015: Extended Summary

human communities, and apart from Earthquakes which is covered under

Mission Geological Safeguarding, the major natural disasters of real concern
for the basin’s ecosystems are few, viz.: Extreme Floods, Extreme Droughts,
Forest Fires, Tropical Cyclones, Landslides, and Epidemics and Biological
Invasions.

4.6.2 Recommended Actions: The main recommendations are: (1) Routine

hydro-meteorological and biological events – often perceived as disasters – are
usually beneficial for the basin; hence they should not be countered. (2) To
withstand catastrophic disasters, ecosystems need strengthening by
preserving wetlands, promoting mixed indigenous forests and vegetation, and
curbing land-use disturbances and encroachments by humans. (3) Extreme
Floods are typical of sediment-charged Himalayan rivers of NRGB, to combat
which floodplain regulations and vegetative measures are preferable to
embankments/ levees, since the latter create perched rivers and increase the
flood damage potential; but upstream dams (with longitudinal connectivity
and environmental flows) may prove beneficial if sediment trapped behind
dams can be transferred to downstream floodplains. (4) NRGB’s ecosystems
have evolved over time against certain fire and biological regimes; hence the
ecology of Forest Fires and of Epidemics & Biological Invasions in NRGB’s
ecosystems needs to be studied extensively. Until then, active interventions to
counter such events should be limited to checking harmful anthropogenic
activities. (5) Landslides in the Upper Ganga Basin and other hilly regions are
aggravated by deforestation, road and building constructions, and unsafe
debris disposal, which need to be strongly checked. (6) Early rejuvenation of
disaster-struck ecosystems should be aided by re-introducing indigenous
species resistant to the specific disaster types and re-creating an enabling
physical environment.

4.7. Mission 7 – River Hazards Management

4.7.1 Importance of River Hazards Management: Several river-related

disasters in India in recent years bear testimony to the fact that human
disturbances have increased the intensity of these disasters and vulnerability
of communities towards these. Hence it is necessary to identify hazards related
to anthropogenic disturbances on rivers and to formulate suitable means to

25
 GRBMP – January 2015: Extended Summary

reduce the risk. Now flood control strategies in most river basins in India are
primarily embankment based. But manmade structures have influenced the
natural flow regime of rivers and modified the flood intensity, frequency and
pattern. Moreover, many Himalayan rivers are highly sediment charged, and
the rising riverbed and reduction in carrying capacity due to extensive
sediment deposition in upstream reaches of a barrage has been a major
problem. The engineering assumption that jacketing the river would increase
the velocity and lead to scouring has instead resulted in silting of river beds
and increased water logging and soil salinity in adjoining floodplains. The
construction of protective levees and dykes, plus the large sediment flux from
Himalayan catchments, has further complicated the flooding problem. In many
cases, large areas have been inundated due to breaches in embankments
coupled with rapid shifting of rivers. Unplanned roads and bunds have also
caused severe drainage.

4.7.2 Recommended Actions: The main recommendations are: (1) Basin scale
flood-risk maps should be prepared based on scientific data and reasoning, and
they can be linked to an online data base and flood warning system.
(2) Drainage improvement and land reclamation in low-lying areas should be
taken up systematically and urgently given successful case histories from
different parts of the world. (3) Assessment of soil salinity and its mitigation
strategy are important; the latter may include the use of salinity resistant crops
and soil improvement practices. (4) Alternatives to embankments for flood
management with emphasis on ‘living with the floods’ concept must be
emphasized; this may include floodplain zoning and other non-structural
approaches. There is also an urgent need for academia, governmental
organizations, NGOs, social institutions and the society at large to work
together for this. (5) Research needed on sediment dynamics and its
application in river management projects for designing sustainable river
management strategies. The Kosi basin could be taken up as a case study since
the Kosi is one of the highest sediment load carrying rivers in Ganga basin and
it is also flood-prone. (6) Some pilot projects may be undertaken in
partnership with state governments, e.g.: (a) Reactivation of paleochannels in
the Kosi basin and design of flood spillway; (b) Improving drainage congestion
caused by unplanned rail/road network by providing additional culverts and

26
 GRBMP – January 2015: Extended Summary

pathways in several parts of UP and Bihar; (c) Designing canals to drain water
from permanently waterlogged areas; (d) Initiation of flood awareness
programme and educating people to move away from flood-prone areas; and
(e) Developing reliable flood forecasting system for specific river basins
through modeling, and better communication systems for timely action.

4.8. Mission 8 – Environmental Knowledge-Building and

Sensitization
4.8.1 Importance of Environmental Knowledge-Building and Sensitization:
Basin planning and management combine diverse natural resources (water
resources, land resources, biological resources, etc.) and processes (river
dynamics, geological phenomena, atmospheric processes, etc.) with traditional
wisdom and grassroots knowledge. Hence it is necessary to build a
comprehensive data bank to enable meaningful analyses and obtain
quantitative indicators of NRGB’s status. Moreover, since NRGB’s welfare
needs the co-operation and help of both formal and informal sectors of
society, the data bank – along with community-specific educational material
and programmes on NRGB’s environment – should be accessible to citizens to
enable their participation in the NRGB’s upkeep.

4.8.2 Recommended Actions: The main recommendations are: (1)

Establishment of a comprehensive Data Bank by continuous collection,
processing and storage of information on the basin’s natural resources,
anthropogenic activities, and environmental monitoring of basin; (2)
Preparation of secondary results (representative parameters, charts, tables,
etc.) based on primary data; (3) Preparation of documents and materials for
easy understanding by non-specialized people; (4) Keeping all the above
information in open domain for easy access by interested individuals and
institutions; and (5) Conducting educational workshops and campaigns with
stakeholders and interested citizens to enable their sensitization and
comprehensive understanding of basin processes; and (6) Conducting ground-
level monitoring and field researches of NRGB’s environment with stakeholder
participation.

27
 GRBMP – January 2015: Extended Summary

5. Recommendations for Implementation

5.1 Specific Actions
On assessing the significant impacts on NRGB under different Missions, specific
anthropogenic activities that should be immediately Prohibited, Restricted or
Promoted have been identified and listed. Their implementation and future
development would require the coordinated efforts and co-operation of
government and nongovernment institutions, key stakeholders and civil
society. It is envisaged that only a dedicated, knowledge-based, empowered
and stakeholder-involving agency would be able to pool in the collective
knowledge and resources for environmental rejuvenation of NRGB.
5.2 Envisaged Consequences
The most direct and immediate result of implementing the desired measures
would be on the health of the Ganga River System (in terms of Quantity,
Quality & Biodiversity of the river’s waters). On issues of socio-economic
importance, the changes are likely to reflect immediately on Water &
Sanitation, Disease & Health, Flood Impacts, Agriculture & Food Security,
Energy Generation, and Ecosystem Services (such as aquatic foods and fish
catches, cultural, religious & recreational activities) as shown in Figure 17.
While implementation of the proposed measures will incur costs, it is
envisaged that they will have significant net positive gains for the region in the
foreseeable future.

28
 GRBMP – January 2015: Extended Summary

Ene
Agric rgy Wa
ultur Gen
RI ter
e& era
VE &
Eco tion Flo
Food R San
syst Dise od
Secu HE ita
em ases
AL Im
rity tio
Ser &
TH pac
n
vice Heal ts
s thca
re
Figure 17: Major Sectors Likely to be Influenced by GRBMP Action Plan

5.3 Implementation Mechanism

The implementation, monitoring, review and evaluation of the basin’s
problems and interventions on a long-term basis are recommended through an
independent Commission. The implementation challenge lies in aligning
divergent interests of key social actors with involvement of ordinary stake
holders as shown in Figure 18. Moreover, since rivers are prima facie inter-
state subjects as per the Constitution, the said Commission would need
adequate resources and authority (under relevant provisions of the
Constitution) to coordinate and oversee the activities of multiple sectoral
organizations and informal sectors of society insofar as they affect National
River Ganga. GRBMP, therefore, includes the functional requirements of a
Commission that needs to be established by an Act of Parliament, to enable an
enduring mechanism for sustainable growth in the National River Ganga Basin.

29
 GRBMP – January 2015: Extended Summary

Figure 18: Implementation Challenges in Aligning Interests of Key Actors

6. GRBMP Documentation
The GRBMP is presented as a 3-tier set of documents. The three tiers comprise
of: (i) Thematic Reports providing inputs for different Missions, (ii) Mission
Reports documenting the requirements and actions for specific missions, and
(iii) the main GRBMP Report synthesizing background information with the
main conclusions and recommendations of Thematic and Mission Reports. It is
hoped that this modular structure will make the Plan easier to comprehend
and implement in a systematic manner.

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