River Ganga Basin Management Plan Prepared by IIT Consortium

Specific Comments

(Communicated to Hon'ble Prime Minister of India and Chairman NGRBA, Nov. 9th 2014)

Professor B.D.Tripathi

·       The IIT Consortium report prepared at the cost of Rs.16 crores, does not give emphasis to holistic ecological approach based on self regulatory mechanism and regeneration abilities to maintain the homeostasis in Ganga ecosystem. Total report is based on secondary data available on the Internet (out of 38 references cited in the report, 26 are from the internet), hence superficial. It is obvious that most of the data available on the internet are neither scientific nor authentic.

·       The river Ganga forms three distinct major ecosystems i.e. Fragile Himalayan ecosystem (Gomukh to Haridwar), Plain agro-urban ecosystem (Haridwar to Patna) and Delta ecosystem (West Bengal-Sunderban). Each ecosystem has its own exclusive characteristics and specific environmental problems. However, the Consortium report has not given any empahsis on the specific issues of these three distinct ecosystems.

·       Even after the declaration of river Ganga as the National River in the year 2008, still it is under the control of five different political states i.e. Uttrakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. Each state has their own regulations for consumption and management of the river water and implementation of the Ganga related projects. Looking to the past failures of the Ganga related projects, implemented by different state governments, it is necessary to have direct control of the central government over implementation of all Ganga projects to speed up the management. However, IIT consortium report has bypassed this important issue.

·       The IIT Consortium has itself not made any assessment of the flow and depth of water in the Ganga required for ecological, geomorphological, socio-cultural, religious rituals and bathing activities on the specific festivals such as "Kumbh Mela" etc.

·       Highly significant issues of the mother Ganga such as socio-economic, religious and cultural aspects have been totally ignored in the report.

·       Recommendation of minimum e-flow for natural river ecosystem is not ecologically sound and sustainable. Because if there is no buffer space, depletion in the flow of water than the minimum e-flow shall certainly be lethal to the river biota.

·       Recommendation of an e-flow of  0.5 metre depth of water in the Ganga on the basis of the requirement of "Mahseer" in place of the Ganga Dolphin (the National Aquatic Animal), which requires a minimum of 3.0-4.0 metre depth of water, indicates total lack of  knowledge pertaining to the sustainability of river Ecosystem.

·       The IIT consortium has not suggested any methodology to increase the flow of water in the river Ganga.

·       The IIT consortium has not provided any "Cost Benefit Analysis" or "Economic Assessment" for the proposal submitted to the NGRBA.

·       The IIT consortium has not suggested any methodology to conserve the microbial population of river Ganga responsible for managing the river ecosystem through the food chain, nutrients cycling, decomposition of pollutants and bio-geo-chemical cycles.

·       Recommendation of sewage treatment using "Design Built Finance Operate Model" would result in many issues that have already been manifested in the privatization of the water sector in India. So that, it may be replaced with some other model based on "Public Financing and Public-Community Control" operation.

·       Use of explosives and uncontrolled blasting in the fragile Himalayan terrain for infrastructure development works introduces instability in the rocks and is detrimental to the fragile Himalayan ecosystem. These issues have not been addressed properly in the report.

·       High wind speed due to low pressure zone may be the alternative source for power generation in Uttarakhand.  The report does not include alternative suggestions such as wind mills and harvesting of solar energy for the production of electricity in Uttarakhand.

·       Alternative arrangements for the big hydro power plants and dams constructed on the main head streams i.e. Bhagirathi, Alaknanda and Mandakini in Uttarakhand region have not been suggested in the report.

·       Significance of major financial sources like pilgrimage and eco-tourism in Uttarakhand region has not been emphasized properly in the report.

·       The report states that "a potential method for ensuring river connectivity through dams/barrages has been suggested" but no innovative suggestion has been provided to check the violation of longitudinal connectivity.

·       Navigation Project details as suggested by the present Govt. has not been incorporated in the report.