Union Jal Shakti Ministry has launched the e-Flow Ecological Monitoring System, which allows real-time monitoring of river quality.This system aims to enhance the management of water resources and environmental flows in key Indian rivers, including the Ganga and Yamuna.
Environmental Flow
- Environmental flow (E-flow) is the quantity, timing, and quality of water flows required to maintain the health and functioning of aquatic ecosystems and support the livelihoods that depend on these ecosystems.
- E-flows are essential for sustaining the ecological integrity of rivers, lakes, and wetlands, ensuring that they can continue to provide important ecosystem services.
Key Aspects of Environmental Flows
- Quantity: Ensuring an adequate volume of water is maintained to support the ecological processes and species within the ecosystem.
- Timing: Preserving the natural variations in water flow, including seasonal and inter-annual fluctuations, to mimic the natural hydrological cycle.
- Quality: Maintaining water quality standards that are suitable for the health of the aquatic ecosystem, including appropriate levels of dissolved oxygen, temperature, and nutrient concentrations.
- Frequency: Ensuring that specific flow conditions (such as high flows, low flows, and flood events) occur with a regularity that supports the life cycles of aquatic species.
Key Features of the E-flow Ecological Monitoring System
- The E-flow Monitoring System was developed by the National Mission for Clean Ganga, a division of the Jal Shakti Ministry.
- The introduction of this system follows the 2018 mandate by the Centre to maintain minimum e-flows in various stretches of the Ganga throughout the year.
- This mandate was a response to concerns from environmental groups about the negative impact of dams on river ecology and flow.
Key Features
- Real-Time Monitoring: The system allows for the continuous analysis of water quality in the Ganga, Yamuna, and their tributaries.
- Centralised Oversight: It enables the monitoring of activities under the Namami Gange programme, particularly the performance of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs).
- Comprehensive Data Analysis: Utilises quarterly reports from the Central Water Commission to track in-flow, out-flow, and mandated E-flow across 11 projects along the Ganga Mainstream.
Namami Gange Programme
- It is an Integrated Conservation Mission, approved as ‘Flagship Programme’ by the Union Government in June 2014 to accomplish the objective of effective abatement of pollution, conservation and rejuvenation of National River Ganga.
Main Pillars
- Sewerage Treatment Infrastructure
- River-Front Development
- River-Surface Cleaning
- Biodiversity Conservation
- Afforestation
- Industrial Effluent Monitoring
- Ganga Gram
- Public Awareness