SEMINAR

ON
RIVER ACTION PLAN, FLOOD MANAGEMENT
AND BASIN DEVELOPMENT

Date: 27th & 28th July 2018

Venue: Shangri-La's Eros Hotel, 19 Ashoka Road,
Connaught Place, New Delhi 110001

SUPPORTED BY

Na onal Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG)

Ministry of Water Resources, River
Development & Ganga Rejuvena on
Inland Waterways Central Water
Government of India Niti Aayog Authority of India Commission
Ministry of Shipping

Bureau of Indian Indian Water

Standards Resources ICID-CIID
Society

MEDIA PARTNER

Masterbuilder
THE

Nobody Covers Civil Engineering Better

Engineering
Indian Association of Council of India
Structural Engineers

A member Association of
 SEMINAR ON
RIVER ACTION PLAN, FLOOD MANAGEMENT
AND BASIN DEVELOPMENT

3
 SUPPORTERS
SUPPORTED BY

Na onal Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) Government of India Inland Waterways
Ministry of Water Resources, River Authority of India
Development & Ganga Rejuvena on Ministry of Shipping
Government of India

Bureau of Indian Indian Water

Central Water
Standards Resources Society
Commission

THE
AUSTRALIAN
WATER
PARTNERSHIP
ICID-CIID
The Australian Water Partnership
International Commission on
Irrigation and Drainage

SUPPORTING ASSOCIATION

Indian Association of Engineering

Structural Engineers Council of India

MEDIA PARTNER

Masterbuilder
THE

Nobody Covers Civil Engineering Better

4
 SEMINAR ON
RIVER ACTION PLAN, FLOOD MANAGEMENT
AND BASIN DEVELOPMENT

CONTENT
Messages 7
Foreword 13
About CEAI 14
CEAI Governing Council 2016-2018 15
Seminar Committee 17
About the Seminar 18

Articles
1. River Action Plan, Flood Management & Basin Development 19
- Prof. S.K. Mazumder, Mr. M.S. Dhillon, Mr. Anuj Kanwal
2. From River Action Plan to River Rejuvenation 29
- Mr. Paritosh C. Tyagi
3. India's Water Equation: Some Data Concerns & its Interpretations 32
- Prof. Mainak Ghosal
4. Ganga Action Plan - A Deemed Eternity 36
- Mr. M J Deb
5. Challeges of Flood Control and River Training in India 40
- Prof. S K Mazumder

Abstracts
1. Integrated Flood Management Approach For The Mekong River Basin 42
- Dr. Guna N Paudyal
2. Sediment Transport and Management in Ganga River 43
- Prof. Z Ahmad
3. Key Issues and Solutions for Brahmaputra River Flood and
Erosion Control - Need for Paradigm Shift 44
- Dr. Nayan Sharma
4. Sustainable Flood Protection Strategies 46
- Dr. Ashok K. Jain
5. Climate Change and Sustainability 47
- Dr Sachidananda Satapathy
6. The River Action Plans in India – Evolving approach 48
- Dr. R Dalwani
7. An Integrated Approach for Abatement of River Water Pollution with A Case Study on NMCG 49
- Mr. Dheeraj Kaushik
8. Bio-remediation of Natural water bodies 50
- Mr. Anil Pillai
9. Contracting Strategies In The Water Treatment Plant Segment 51
- Mr. Prarabdha R. Jaipuriar

Advertisements 51

5
 SEMINAR ON
RIVER ACTION PLAN, FLOOD MANAGEMENT
AND BASIN DEVELOPMENT

FOREWORD

W ith climate change and its consequences, where periods of drought and flood tend to
alternate each other with unpredictable repercussion, management of water resources,
rivers and their basins and determining the criticality of flood risks have become of
paramount importance. This also poses a challenge to our engineers and scientists. The instances
and regularity of urban flooding point to the need for a holistic view of managing the river and its
basin and flood risk minimisation measures.
Recent severe occurrences of flood due to events of extreme weather have resulted in much
damage to life and property. These have been further exacerbated by intense development
activities involving high density of construction, ingress of development onto the banks, etc.
which ultimately contribute to the rising pollution in our sacred and precious rivers, due to their use
and misuse by the populations whose lifeline they are.
The rivers of India have their place in the ecosystem and are held sacred. There is a need to nurture
and care for them to avert the dire consequences of climate change.
The CEAI is organising this Seminar on 'River Action Plan, Flood Management and Basin
Development', to discuss and find solutions to the myriad problems related to Water
Management, Flooding and Pollution in rivers experienced across the country.
The Mission of this seminar is to examine the key challenges, discuss best practices and latest
advances in technology and suggest appropriate solutions.
We are grateful to our esteemed supporters, viz., the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG)
of the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Inland
Waterways Authority of India of the Ministry of Shipping, Central Water Commission, Bureau of
Indian Standards, International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage, Indian Water Resources
Society, and Australian Water Partnership.
We are privileged that this event has the blessings of their Excellencies the Hon'ble Vice President
of India, Shri Venkaiah Naidu and the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi.
The event has been made possible due to the best wishes of the Hon'ble Minister for Road
Transport & Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development & Ganga
Rejuvenation, Shri Nitin Gadkari and his Ministry.
We, in CEAI, hope that this Seminar would contribute in a significant way by giving every
participant an opportunity to voice his/her views and add value during deliberations.
With best wishes for a meaningful interaction!

S Philip
President CEAI

13
 ABOUT CEAI

C onsulting Engineers Association of India (CEAI) is the apex body of consulting engineers
of about 500 members both private and public sector firms. It is the only Indian member
association representing the consultancy fraternity at the International Federation of
Consulting Engineers (FIDIC), the global forum of consulting engineers. The mission of CEAI is to
promote consulting engineering profession nationally and internationally and upgrade engineering
knowledge and skills.

VISION, MISSION AND VALUES

Vision
v To represent, promote and enhance the status of consulting engineers in India as an honoured
and dignified profession for nation building and propagate Indian engineering consultancy
globally.

Mission
v Promote interests of the consulting engineering profession nationally and internationally.
v Promote sustainable, safe and sound engineering practice.
v Upgrade engineering knowledge and skill.
v Propagate code of professional ethics, safety, health and environment.

Values
v Commitment with tenacity to high ethical values, integrity, professionalism and achieving
technical excellence and inclusive development.

14
 SEMINAR ON
RIVER ACTION PLAN, FLOOD MANAGEMENT
AND BASIN DEVELOPMENT

GOVERNING COUNCIL 2016-2018

PRESIDENT
Ms Sayona Philip
Head – Government Relations
TATA Consulting Engineers Ltd

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

Mr Sudhir Dhawan
Chief Executive Officer
Aether Engineering Solutions Pvt Ltd

VICE PRESIDENTS
Mr Somenath Ghosh Mr Uttam Sengupta
Former CMD,NIRDC Chairman – CEAI Western Region
& Advisor ICT Sr. GM -Contracts & Risk Management
Voltas Limited

SECRETARY TREASURER
Mr P K Mittal Mr Pankaj Vatsa
Chief General Manager Jt. Vice President
Holtec Consulting Pvt Ltd STUP Consultants Pvt Ltd

CHAIRMAN EMERITUS
Mr Mahendra Raj
Chairman & Managing Director
Mahendra Raj Consultants Pvt Ltd

ELECTED MEMBERS
Mr Alok Bhowmick Mr Rajeev Bhatnagar
Managing Director Chief Executive Officer
B&S Engineering Consultants Pvt Ltd Feedback Infra Pvt Ltd

Mr A S Brara Dr Samarjit Chatterjee

Managing Director Past President - CEAI
Mantec Consultants Pvt Ltd
Mr K Hari
MrPradeepChaturvedi Vice President - Planning, Proposals, Estimation
Consulant Howe Engineering Project (India) Pvt. Ltd

15
Mr Sutanu Ghosh Mr O P Goel
Managing Director Former Director General, CPWD
Ghosh, Bose & Associates Pvt Ltd
Mr Vishwas Jain
Mr K K Kapila Chairman, Northern Region
Chairman & Managing Director Managing Director
ICT Pvt Ltd Consulting Engineers Group Ltd

Mr S C Mehrotra Mr Amit Kumar

Advisor Project Director
Mehro Consultants Mott MacDonald Pvt Ltd

Dr Harshvardhan Subbarao Mr Anand Bakshi Khare

Managing Director Additional Vice President-Business Development
Construma Consultancy Pvt Ltd Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System Ltd

CO-OPTED MEMBERS
Mr A P Mull Mr Rajinder Khazanchi
Former Managing Director Consultant
Tata Consulting Engineers Ltd
Mr Amitabha Ghoshal
Ms Sakshi Mehra Chairman, Eastern Region Centre
Mehro Consultants Chief Advisor
Stup Consultants Pvt Ltd
Mr V Venugopal
Executive Director Dr Dhaval Parikh
MECON Limited Aarvee Associates Architects, Engineers &
Consultants Pvt. Ltd.

PERMANENT INVITEES
Mr Sitaram Aggarwal Mr Srikumar Ghosh
Consultant Former Chief Advisor & Director (Emeritus)
CES (I) Pvt Ltd
Mr R Gogia
Engineering Projects Consultants Mr Umesh Shrivastava
Executive Chairman
Mr R S Sharma Holtec Consulting Pvt Ltd
Managing Director
Sugam Technocrats Pvt Ltd

16
 SEMINAR ON
RIVER ACTION PLAN, FLOOD MANAGEMENT
AND BASIN DEVELOPMENT

SEMINAR COMMITTEE

ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Mr A B Pandya - Chairperson
Secretary General ICID
Ms S Philip
President CEAI
Mr Srikumar Ghosh
Former Chief Advisor &
Director (Emeritus) CES
Mr Sudhir Dhawan
CEO, Aether Engineering
Mr K K Kapila
CMD, ICT
Dr S Chatterjee
Past President CEAI

SEMINAR COMMITTEE
Mr Somenath Ghosh- Chairperson
Former CMD NRDC & Advisor ICT
Ms S Philip
President CEAI
Dr Ajay Pradhan
CEO, C2S2
Mr Guha Sircar
Executive Director, STUP
Mr A S Brara
MD, Mantec Consultants Pvt Ltd
Mr Vishwas Jain
MD, CEG
Mr Rajinder Khazanchi
Former COO, Howe Engineering
Mr Dinesh Kumar Verma
Principal Engineer, Feedback Infra
Mr Amitava Sengupta
Senior Manager, TCE
Prof S K Mazumder
Former AICTE Emeritus Professor of Civil Engg., DCE (now DTU)

17
 ABOUT THE SEMINAR

T he importance of water, like that of the air around us, hardly figures in our consciousness.
Abundance of its availability has been taken for granted, perpetually. After having misused
and mismanaged this life sustaining resource, at an increasing rate, over the generations,
we have landed ourselves in a critical situation, not far from the point of no return. Unless adequate
awareness of this perilous state is not aroused among the entire populace and adequate measures
are not taken forthwith, to arrest this down slide, our own existence will be at a grave risk, in the
long run. The immediate task is restoration of the health of our rivers, the main source of our life
sustaining water. Apart from human consumption and other basic uses, the rivers are vital to
sustenance of human culture and civilisation.
Human civilisation evolved and flourished around the river banks, which became and has
remained the life line, ever since. However, many a times it has threatened our existence as well,
when the rivers are flooded, submerging large regions of human habitations, causing extra
ordinary damages to the lives and properties. In recent times, with polluted environment,
tampered eco system and climate change, the occurrence of flood has become much more
unpredictable and devastating. It is time, this trend is reversed, by proper study and taking the
necessary measures.
We endeavour to address the basic and vital issues relating to the rivers, through presentations to be
made by a number of eminent experts in the various aspects of this 'Save the Rivers' campaign. The
Seminar, spread over two days, will have two Plenary Sessions, one on each day, viz., River Basin
Management and River Action Plans. There will be five Technical Sessions addressing: Integrated
Flood Management, Climate Change and Sustainability, Policies for Effectiveness, Pollution
Abatement and Capability and Capacity Building. The seminar will be concluded with Panel
Discussion with a group of specialists, to come out with a road map of the way forward for
conservation and better management of our rivers.
As a prelude to the seminar, we are presenting in this Souvenir, a few articles authored by some
experts in this domain, to acquaint the delegates with the areas intended to be covered in the
seminar as well as some closely associated with. Abstracts of some of the articles to be presented in
the seminar are also included.I hope, the proceedings of the seminar will be meaningful and at the
end of the seminar, all the participants will be have better appreciation ofserious challenges on the
river front.
Wish you all two days of absorbing deliberations and exchange of ideas.

Dr. S. Chatterjee
Former President and Member, Advisory Board

18

RIVER ACTION PLAN, FLOOD MANAGEMENT & BASIN DEVELOPMENT
Lead Paper for CEAI Seminar on 27-28 July, 2018, New Delhi
S.K.Mazumder M.S.Dhillon
Former AICTE Emeritus Fellow and Chief Engineer, Flood Mgmt.
Professor of Civil Engineering Central water Commission
Delhi Technology University (DCE) cefmgmt@nic.in
somendrak64@gmail.com
www.profskmazumder.com
1.0 Introduction
W ater is one of the five great elements among
air, water, fire, earth, and ether that make our
universe (Rig Veda)
In 1947 when India woke to freedom, the country was
facing stark realties of recurring famines and floods.
Based on limited experience and inadequate
technological strength, the country embarked on its
journey into water world for the future. India has roughly
four percent of the world's fresh water resources to feed
its 17% world population. India receives an average
precipitation of about 1170 mm which corresponds to
an amount of annual volume of 4000 BCM(NCIWRD-
1999). There is considerable variation in precipitation
both in time and space. Nearly 75% of precipitation i.e.
3000 BCM occurs during the monsoon season confined
to 2 to 3 months in a year.
River action Plan deals with the pollution of water which
is imposing high cost on health, water and waste water
treatment. River water is getting highly polluted due to
disposal of untreated waste water from overpopulated
cities, industries and encroachment of flood plains by
poor people. In rural areas, there is overexploitation of
ground water leading to severe health problems and rise
in pumping cost. Water savings, treatment and reuse
techniques continue to be on priority lists in urban cities
and process industries (Kumar and Mazumder,2016 ).
Floods are natural phenomena. In a tropical country like
India, floods are mainly due to excessive rainfall in a short
19
SEMINAR ON
RIVER ACTION PLAN, FLOOD MANAGEMENT
AND BASIN DEVELOPMENT
Anuj Kanwal
Director, Reservoir Sedimentation
Central water Commission
kanwal.anuj@nic.in
period during monsoon. Out of a geographical area of
329 mha , flood prone area in India is about 40mha as
estimated by Rastriya Bar Ayog (RBA,1987). Although,
floods occur allover India, it is predominant in the north,
east and north-east part of our country. Flood damage
occurs in both rural and urban areas. While rural flooding
is mainly due to spillingof river banks and breaching of
flood embankments (Mazumder,2011), urban flooding
occurs mainly due to inadequate drainage capacity and
lack of maintenance of drains. Average annual cost of
flood damages in India is about Rs.4,000 crores. India's
first National Water Policy adopted in 1987 and backed
by 40 years of experience, helped usin building and
operation of multipurpose storage and diversion
projects. They helped bringingabout food self-
sufficiency andcounter the extremes of droughts and
floods.
The concept of river basin development in India was
first introduced by an eminent scientist-Meghnand Saha
in 1938- who put forth his views that river basins,
because of their intrinsic ecological integrity, were ideally
suited as territorial units for undertaking comprehensive
programs of socio-economic development. He made a
strong plea for a systematic study of all the river basins of
the country so that a scientific foundation could be laid
for future integrated programs. Damodar Valley
Corporation (DVC) - the first major multipurpose river
basin development authority in India -was constituted in
the late 1940's in the pattern of Tennesy Valley Authority
(TVA) in USA in 1920's .
2.0 Water Demand for Food Production
Civilizations decay when structural interventions of
policy, pricing or inputs and outputs and the unchecked
misuse, is not sustainable. Using 2011 census figures, the
population of India in 2025 is being projected as 1394
million when average per capita availability of water will
fall to just 1,342 m3 in an average year which is quite low
compared to some other countries in the world.
Table-1 Per Capita Water Availability ( in m3 )
in Different Countries in the World as on 2011
USSR USA China Australia India
19,500 9,900 5,000 2,420 1,545
Estimated demand of water for different sectors in India
f r o m 2 0 1 0 t o 2 0 5 0 i s g ive n i n Ta b l e - 2
(INAE,2008).Because of the timely irrigation
development, India today is self sufficient in food,
producing 250 million tons of food grains for our 1250
million people. Fig.1 (Mazumder,2002) shows the
projected growth in population, food grain production
and irrigated area up to 2050. Out of a total of 113
Million hectare (Mha)area underirrigation in India
today, 58 Mha is by major and medium surface irrigation
schemes , 15 Mha area is by surface minor irrigation
schemes and 40 Mha is by minor ground water schemes
(IWRS-2007). Irrigation consumption is the highest at
78% (in 2010). Fig.2 illustrates yield of cereals in India
vis-a-vis other neighboring countries. To feed the
growing population with the available water,productivity
of irrigated land per unit area and unit water has to be
improved since the irrigated area remains the same after
2001 (Fig.1).
3.0 Water Crisis Situation in India
Average annual water availability of India is 1869 billion
cubic meters (BCM) from different river basins in the
country [CWC (1993); Iyer,(1989)]. The utilizable water
with conventional approach is 1121 BCM which
comprises of 690 BCM of surface water and 431 BCM
of replenishable ground water. The remaining water i.e.
748 BCM is lost to the atmosphere through evapo-
transpiration from rain fed agriculture, barren lands,
forests, natural vegetation, storage ponds, lakes and
flood flow in to the sea.
At present, India has a meager storage capacity of 300
BCM , mostly in surface reservoirs. It is inadequate to
fight drought like situations arising occasionally in
different parts of the country. Loss of live storage due to
silting of reservoir is estimated as 53 BCM by 2050
(CWC,1991). NASA has identified more than 30
hotspots in India where freshwater is in particular danger
(IAHR- 2018).The situation is going toaggravate further
due to uncontrolled pollution of both surface and
ground water. Without strong action by government to
preserve water, the situation is likely to worsen further
Fig.1 Growth of Popula on, Food Produc on and
Irrigated Area in India (1951-2050)

Table-2:Water Demand for Different Uses

Total Water Requirement for Different Uses (in BCM)
Uses Year 2010 Year 2025 Year 2050
S.No.
High Demand High Demand High Demand
scenario scenario scenario
1. Irriga on 557 611 807
2. Municipal 43 62 111
Fig.2Yield of Cereals in India and
3. Industries 37 67 81
other Neighboring Countries
4. Power (Energy) 19 33 70
5. Others 54 70 111 4.0 Need for Efficient Water Management
Total 710 843 1180 We must manage the available water resources in a
judicious and efficient manner (CWC,2010). Currently,

20

there is a lot of loss of water in irrigation and other
sectors primarily due to heavily subsidized water supply
policy and poor on-farm development (Ministry of
Agriculture, 1979).The overall efficiency of irrigation
projects (also called project efficiency) in Indiais too low
at an average of 35% in the case of major and medium
surface irrigation projects as compared to 55% in China
and 70% in Japan(INCID, 1998). The average project
efficiency in three major river-valley projects, determined
by the first author, was found to vary from 18.6% to
38.8% (Mazumder, 1984). Most of the irrigation water
was found to be lost in conveyance and field application
and extremely poor management of water at the farm
level [Mazumder (1986); Bharat Singh (1991)].
Zimermann (1966) examined several drawbacks of
protective type extensive irrigation practice being
followed in India where available water is spread over
vast areas through a widely spaced unlined canal
networks. Most of the water in such a system is lost in
conveyance and most of the remaining water is lost
because of inefficient ir rigation management
[IWRS(2007)]. Different steps for improving overall
efficiency of irrigation have been suggested by
Mazumder (2007).
5. River Action Plan
River health changed with the advent of intensive
development taken up by the society. The surface waters
suffered for de facto policies of exploitation, neglect
and abuse - the primary drivers behind the significant
environmental ruin.The extent of the damage can only
be 'rehabilitated' rather than fully 'restored' to their
original condition. Hence River Action Plans were
initiated to patch up the damages to reflect the fact that
significant ecological restoration of natural eco-systems
is beyond the scope of currently proposed policies. The
legal, institutional and political frameworks that have
emerged over the past 20 years for rehabilitation include
specific projects and initiatives which signal a shift in
public policy and the start of a rejuvenation process in
streams. This has been primarily for the fact that there
has been very little water available to maintain in-stream
flow at desired levels.
Recent advancesin River Action Plan have given a few
lessons which primarily include:
a. Creating infrastructureto create a nationalgrid
b. Improvedregulation andupgradedsewagetreatment
for the return flow
21
SEMINAR ON
RIVER ACTION PLAN, FLOOD MANAGEMENT
AND BASIN DEVELOPMENT
c. Creating Institutions and Legal Framework to
sustain the change
5.1 Development, Degradation of Rivers and
River Restoration
The waters of majority of Indian rivers is perennial
with meaningful year-round flow. Before the modern
period, the serivers and stream scontained healthy
aquatic ecosystems that we rehabitats for fish, turtles,
even crocodiles. They also provide dinnumerable'
ecosystem services' including watering holes for
terrestrial wildlife and grazing, asource of primitive
irrigation, power for the occasional mill and of course
my riadcultural services for local communities. Indeed,
the contribution of these water bodies to the recreational
and spiritual heritage of India is well known and
reflected in their ritualistic roles.
Types of flora and fauna
(https://www.nature.scot/habitats-and-ecosystems) in
a riverine system depend on the:
v physical dimensions of the basins
v chemistry of the water and sediments of the rivers
v soils and geology of the catchment area
Conditions may range from soft, relatively acidic waters
with low levels of nutrients to hard, more alkaline waters
with higher nutrient concentrations. More fertile
catchments and shallow basins tend to support more bio-
diversity.
Unexploitedwater was considered awasted resource and
asign of in efficiency and poor performance. The
imperative of water resource development and
increasing water supply was manifestedin Nehru's vision
of independent India with large dams as temples of
Modern India. Our geometric growth of population,
industries and agricultural activity for expanding the
yields continued for 30 years under the dam temple era.
And this came to full circle after popular movements
were started protesting the large dams as master piece of
destruction of the environment and violations of human
rights. In July 1983, the veteran social worker Muralidhar
'Baba' Amte wrote to the Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi,
urging her to intervene in stopping two dams in central
India that would submerge 2,00,000 acres of dense forest
and displace 40,000 adivasis; although they would be paid
monetary compensation, 'nothing can compensate for
the wrench they would suffer in leaving their traditional
cultural environment…'. The need for River Action Of course, the contamination of rivers does not stop on
Plans were never felt before these movements and the the surface water onlybut also led to deterioration in
River Action Plan for River Ganga was first initiated by aquifer water quality. For instance, the Arsenic
the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1986 to save contamination in groundwater in the Ganga-
Ganga from pollution. In practice, poor understanding Brahmaputra fluvial plains in India and Padma-
of the hydrological assets by our early water and land Meghna fluvial plains in Bangladesh and its
managers and paramount economic priority on consequences to the human health have been reported as
agriculture and later on Industrial production has now one of the world's biggest natural groundwater
led to a situation to redefine the use of the riverine calamities to the mankind (Ghosh, et al).
waters. With virtually no price of the Irrigation water – the
quantum use of water was abused leading to the most
5.2 Environmental Impacts
important problem regarding river water quality
Much of the bio-logical systems in many rivers in India andquantity or 'minimum natural flow' in the river. The
during urban reaches have been transformed into minimum flow is considered by many aquatic ecologists
conduits for municipal sewage or garbage dumps.
to be based on one master variable habitat, its
Environmental conditions in low-flowing river streams
temperature, its ability to process nutrients, stream
tend to be particularly poor. This is compounded by the
geomorphology and numerous other aspects of
little fresh water that was available to be tapped for
ecological functioning.
purposes of irrigation and urban supply. Moreover, even
after domestic sewage treatment, the effluents For past 60 years, the public sentiments was largely
discharged into these streams do not get diluted by a lean indifferent to the massive degradation of the nation's
flow. The high concentrations of biological oxygen streams. One event, however, seized national attention
demand (BOD), nutrients and bacteria frequently have a and influenced public perceptions about the severity of
more direct and severe impact on the ecosystem than in the river water quality crisis was the declaration of the
naturally perennial streams. In Gnaga Basin,for example, river as a 'living being'. Voices were echoed when one
the population grew at exponential range as shown in state Government in Indian state of Madhya Pardesh in
Table-3.A look at the BOD in Ganga River as per Fig.3 May 2017 moved the proposal to give 'living being' entity
indicate the position from 2002-2008.A range of status to river Narmada to control pollution, illegal
pollutants, including non-point agricultural runoff, mining on the river banks and to save the river from
urban stormwater and discharge from industrial sites, getting depleted.The Government statement read as :
treated and occasionally untreated municipal wastes, “Giving living entity would not only conserve the river
determine the river water quality. In fact, the few but also save the environment. We can lodge acomplaint
spotted pollution suggests that nonpoint sources from in the name of river Narmada against all illegalities.
agriculture and urban runoff are the single greatest
Table-3 Growth of Urban Popula on in
source of nutrients and other pollutants to the streams.
Different States in India in Ganga Basin
The major shift in river ecology is due to pollution No of Urban Urban Urban
affected vegetation cover, bank and bed stability, States Towns & Popula on Popula on Popula on
Ci es (1991) (2001) (2011)
sediment transport and storage. The associated hazards
1 Bihar (inc.Jharkhand) 130 6,715,096 8 ,681,800 19,691,077
of mosquitoes, odours and of course groundwater
2 Haryana 106 4,054,744 6,115,304 8,842,103
contamination can be substantial. The natural vegetation
3 Himachal Pradesh 57 449,196 595,581 688,552
and fauna are often replaced by invasive species that are
4 MadhyaPradesh 394 12,152,967 15,967,145 26,006,642
better adapted to contaminated, wet environments. (including Chha sgarh)
Opportunistic flora in some areas so thrived on organic
5 Rajasthan 222 10,077,371 13,200,000 17,048,085
loadings, that natural flow become clogged. Perhaps of
6 U ar Pradesh 704 27,544,233 34,539,582 44,495,063
greater concern, many rivers are repositories for
7 U arakhand 86 2,179,074 3,049,338
industrial wastes, heavy organic discharges from fish
8 West Bengal 373 18,707,601 22,427,251 29,093,002
ponds with chemical residues, including heavy metals
9 Delhi 1 8,471,625 12,905,780 16,368,899
and organic chemical compounds leaving a toxic sludge
Total 88,172,833 1,07,929,717 165,282,761
at the river base.

22

Fig.3Trend in Biochemical Oxygen Demand(BOD)
in River Ganga in UP (upper Segment)
As Narmada is the biggest river in thestate, we have
initiated the conser vation prog ramme from
Amarkantak. After the success of this campaign we will
also initiate conservation of Kshipra, Gambhir, Ken,
Betwa and Kali Sindh rivers with public participation”.
The legal activism of the Uttrakhand High Court to
declare Ganga as a living entity is under further legal
scrutiny in Supreme Court in July, 2017
5.3 Towards Rehabilitation of Rivers
T he combination of increasingly per nicious
environmental conditions with social, economic and
political influences with increased and concerned
environmental awareness among the public converged to
change the approach to the matter with:
v Challenges of National Level Committed Plan
v Challenges of coordinating multiple agencies
v Challenges to bring Drainage Authorities
v Challenges of Funds Arrangements
v Challenges to handle public interest advocates and
NGOs.
The vacuum at the national level was filled by several
impressive initiatives by regional agencies that 'thought
globally and acted locally'. A critical first step in
rehabilitation efforts involves creating a Masterplan that
can serve as a blueprint for the myriad activities which
need to be part of a restoration program.
Implementation may take decades, yet slowly but surely
the plan can become operational. With plans in various
stages of development, the steady improvement in
sewer creation and sewage treatment is bringing the river
back to its original state.
Ultimately, streams cannot come back to life if they do
not have a reliable flow of fresh water. Because water
allocation in water-scarce regions is essentially a zero sum
game, taking water for stream restoration has
23
SEMINAR ON
RIVER ACTION PLAN, FLOOD MANAGEMENT
AND BASIN DEVELOPMENT
traditionally been perceived as taking water away from
agriculture. Politically, the aquatic eco- systems cannot
compete with farm requirements. However, allocation
of natural flows of fresh water to nature – essentially an
allocation for the restoration of the streams.
With improvements in the discharge standards,
rehabilitation projects like the 'Namamage Gange' are
being undertaken as baby steps. Dredging of the rivers
and reduction in pollution inputs have not been
sufficient to compensate for decades of accumulated
stocks of pollution in the streambed sediments, and
current conditions in the river bottom are still extremely
toxic. In an attempt to actually rehabilitate the river, a
master plan need to be developed, debated and
approved for each river. The amount of effort and
money that is now being dedicated to rehabilitating the
nation's most toxic rivers may indicate a true turning
point as to how river action plans are valued in the
country.
While significant progress has been madeto improve
water quality and develop rehabilitation plans for the
nation's rivers, significant challenges remain. The
centrally sponsored National River Conservation Plan
(NRCP) started in April 1995; it covers 38 rivers in 178
towns spread over 20 States. Sewage treatment capacity
of about 4,064 million litres per day (mld.) has been
created and an expenditure of Rs.4,085 crore has been
incurred so far under this Plan. River conservation
activities such as creation of civic infrastructure for
sewage management and disposal are also being
implemented under other central schemes. Based on
independent monitoring undertaken by reputed
institutions on some of the major rivers under NRCP, the
water quality in terms of BOD values has improved at
most locations as compared to water quality before
taking up of pollution abatement schemes. The Central
Government , in February 2009, has set up the National
Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) as an
empowered planning, financial, monitoring and
coordinating authority to ensure effective abatement of
pollution and conservation of the river Ganga by
adopting a holistic approach with the river basin as the
unit of planning. Interception and diversion of sewage
and setting up of Sewage Treatment Plants have,
therefore, been among the main components of
pollution abatement schemes under the National River
Conservation Plan (NRCP, 2011).
 6.0 Flood Management 6.1 Flood Management Measures:
For an efficient basin development, flood management As per the view expressed by the experts, floods are
plays a crucial role in the overall development of India's natural phenomena except the situations involving
economy. The main causes of floods are as under: failure of flood control structures or faulty regulation of
(i) High intensity rainfall in short duration reservoirs; and permanent immunity against floods is not
(ii) Poor or inadequate drainage/channel capacity techno-economically feasible. However, impacts of
floods can be mitigated to a certain degree by adopting
(iii) Unplanned reservoir regulation
appropriate structural and non-structural measures as
(iv) Failure of flood management structures listed below:
The Rashtriya Barh Ayog (RBA,1987) had estimated that
a. Structural Measures :
the, total area liable to floods in the country as 40 Mha.
Subsequently, the extent of maximum area affected in a Some of the structural measures of flood control
are:
year by floods has been updated by XII Plan Working
Group on Flood Management and Region Specific (i) Reservoirs
Issues as 49.815 Mha. The State-wise representation of (ii) Detention basins
Flood Prone Area is shown in Fig.4.As per database (iii) Embankments
maintained by CWC, the highlights of flood damage (iv) Channelization of rivers
during the period from 1953 to 2016 are given in Table-4
(v) Channel improvement
Table-4 Average and Maximum Flood Damages in India (vi) Drainage improvement
Average Maximum Damage
SN Item Unit Annual
Extent Year
(vii) Diversion of flood waters
Damage
1 2 3 4 5 6
(viii) Watershed Management
1 Area affected mha. 6.95 17.50 1978 b. Non-Structural Measures :
2 Popula on affected million 31.34 70.45 1978 Flood forecasting:
3 Human lives lost nos. 1626 11316 1977
The work of flood forecasting and warning in India is
4 Ca le lost nos. 92992 618248 1979
entrusted with the Central Water Commission (CWC).
5 Cropped area affected mha. 3.72 12.30 2005
Flood Forecasting and flood warning in India was
6 Damage to crops Rs crore 1354.09 13816.76 2015
7 Houses damaged nos. 13817 3507542 1978
commenced in a small way in the year 1958 with the
8 Damage to houses Rs crore 667.45 10809.795 2009
establishment of a unit in the Central Water Commission
9 Damage to public u li es Rs crore 2148.94 17509.353 2009
(CWC), New Delhi, for flood forecasting for the river
10 Total Damage to crops, Rs crore 4282.16 33257.02 2009
Yamuna at Delhi. Presently, there are 878 Hydrological
houses & public u li es and Hydro-meteorological sites being operated by CWC
across the country covering 20 river basins for gauge,
discharge, sediment & water quality observations.
Table-5 Structural Measures of Flood Control
taken up upto XII plan in India
S.No. Flood management measures Extent
1. Embankment 37072.659 km
2. Drainage channel/channel improvement 39726.700 km
3. Village raised/protected 7713 nos
4. Town/Village protec on works 2906 nos
5. Raised Pla orms 65os

The formulation of a forecast requires effective means

of real time data communication network from the
forecasting stations and the base stations. The activity of
flood forecasting comprises of Level Forecasting and
Fig.4 Showing Flood Prone Areas in India

24

Inflow Forecasting. The level forecasts help the user
agencies in deciding mitigating measures like evacuation
of people and shifting people and their movable
property to safer locations. The Inflow Forecasting is
used by various dam authorities in optimum operation of
reservoirs for safe passage of flood downstream as well
as to ensure adequate storage in the reservoirs for
meeting demand during non-monsoon period. Presently,
Flood forecasts are issued by CWC at 226 stations (166
Level Forecast Stations + 60 Inflow Forecast Stations).
Annually, about 6000 flood forecasts are issued by CWC
during floods with accuracy of more than 96%. During
high, unprecedented and emergent situations, alerts are
also issued through SMS to the concerned authorities on
their mobile phones.
In order to meet the requirement of real-time data
collection, automatic data transmission and flood
forecast formulation, expeditious data / information
dissemination, the Central Water Commission has
undertaken modernization and expansion of its data
collection and flood forecast network. So far, CWC has
set up modern system of data collection, flood forecast
formulation and its dissemination to concerned
States/Agencies
Flood Plain Zoning
Flood-plain zoning is a concept central to flood plain
management. This concept recognizes the basic fact that
the flood plain of a river is essentially its domain and any
intrusion into or developmental activity therein must
recognize the river's 'right of way'. Flood-plain zoning
measures aim at demarcating zones or areas likely to be
affected by floods of different magnitudes or
frequencies and probability levels, and specify the types
of permissible developments in these zones, so that
whenever floods actually occur, the damage can be
minimized, if not avoided. Unfortunately, while all in
principle generally endorse this approach, scant attention
is given to it in actual practice, leading to increased flood
damages.
Rain water Harvesting
Floods are due to high run-off from rainfall excess in the
catchment area. Run-off can be substantially reduced
through rain water harvesting by several means e.g.
vegetation, plantations, recharging ground water,
cultivated land preparation before monsoon, ponding
etc. with in the respective catchment areas.
25
SEMINAR ON
RIVER ACTION PLAN, FLOOD MANAGEMENT
AND BASIN DEVELOPMENT
6.2 Long term Solutions for Flood Control
All most all committees, boards, task force,
C o m m i s s i o n s, Wo r k i n g G r o u p o f P l a n n i n g
Commission, National Water Policy, etc. have
emphasized projects with dedicated flood storage as the
long term solution to the devastating floods occurring
every year. For example, the estimated flood storage
requirements in Brahmaputra basin, a flood storage of
the order of about 9.2 BCM is recommended bya
committee under Chairmanship of Member (D&R),
CWC. These flood storages will play a crucial role in
attenuation of floods in the north eastern states reeling
under floods every year. These storages will help in
making the Brahmaputra river Navigable throughout the
year. They will also help in water supply and lean flow
augmentation and generation of hydro-power.It may be
mentioned that although Brahmaputra basin has a hydro-
power potential of 59,000 MW (40% of the total hydro-
power potential of India), the hydro-power tapped so far
in the north eastern states in Brahmaputra basin is about
5.000 M Wonly.
Central water Commission (CWC) has been issuing flood
forecast based on conventional gauge to gauge
methodology with a lead time up to one day. Under
Flood Forecasting (FF) modernization programme,
CWC started rainfall based real time flood forecasting
using mathematical modelling technique for whole
country increasing lead time up to 72 hrs since 2017
(http://120.57.32.251/index.php).CWC has utilized the
latest modelling technique in generating maps for the
inundation forecast. Emphasis has also been made to
validate maps using satellite images to the best possible
extent. Whenever forecast of river stage exceeds certain
threshold levels (warning level, danger level & highest
flood Level), CWC FF station-wise inundation would be
portrayed. Comprehensive inundation scenarios for all
the inundated districts along with road transport and
railway network could thus be seen on real time basis. It
will help the state government officials and various flood
response agencies for emergency planning and response
action in mitigating the flood damage in the basin.
Moreover, this will be useful in many other aspects like
land use planning, flood proofing, design of evacuation
plans and flood protection measures etc. The inundation
forecast could be refined as and when high resolution
data sets or more advanced methodologies are available
in near future.
 7. Challenges and the Road Ahead for River Basin
Development and Management
As mentioned earlier, river basin is considered as the
basic hydrological unit for planning and development of
water resources. It has a defined water boundary within
which there is an inter-relationship between the surface
and groundwater resources. Besides, there is cultural
affinity among the people of the basin which provide
sound basis for planning over all development issues.
Based on similar hydro-meteorological characteristics,
CWC et. al (1959) divided the country into 26 hydro-
meteorologically homogeneous sub-zones for
estimation of floods of different return periods. There
are 12 major river basins in India with catchment area of
20,000 km2 and above. Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna is
the largest with catchment area of about 11.0 lakh
km2.The other major river basins with catchment area
more than 1.0 lakh km2 are Indus, Mahanadi, Godavari
and Krishna. There are 46 medium river basins with
catchment area between 2,000 and 20,000 km2. All major
and medium river basins are inter-state in nature covering
about 81% of the geographical area of the country. Our
National Water Policy (MOWR,2002) lays down that
there should be an integrated and multi disciplinary
approach to the planning, formulation, clearance and
implementation of projects, including catchment
treatment and management, environmental and
ecological aspects, rehabilitation of affected people and
command area development .
The first challenge is the regulatory frame work.The only
River Rehabilitation Authority existing in India – NMCG
(National Mission for Clean Ganga) for instance, is an
interagency body to distribute the funds to the state
executing agencies and it can at best act in the advisory
capacity only. It has no statutory authority derived from
the Constitution of India to issue abiding directions to
the state Governments.
National Water Code is an urgent need where the law
related to water management need to be codified for
household-needs; agriculture; industry; commerce;
and public services. Legally at least, nature can be made a
legitimate user of water. The water code may define the
development with little regard for the carrying capacity
or the hydrological integrity of the country's water
resources. Water Bureaucracy also need to change with
an understanding of water management in social
perspective. The engineered solutions must pave way to
management arena.
26
The second challenge of River Basin development is the
arrangement of funds for the continued maintenance
efforts. Many economic assessments have found the
economic value of river rehabilitation or flood
management is quite high, of ten out weighing the costs.
However, the benefits are in the form of non revenues
public good feeling is not measurable. For rivers in urban
areas, some of the revenues canberaised through
tourism, waterways or property taxes on areas expected
to seean in creasein property value. Other economic
policies to generate revenue, such as adedicated tax on
water consumption or discharge need also to be
explored. Like toll tax in highway sector, Govt. may
consider imposing some taxfor cold drinks like Coca-
cola, Limka, Fanta etc.
A healthy Rivers Action Plan for improving water
management in the river include healthy Basin with
reduction in nutrient inputs like water-soluble phosphate
fertilizers and to check Drainage of Nutrient to remove
nutrients from drains and tributaries before water is
discharged into the rivers. The efforts for reducing the
input of contaminants at their sources in the sub basins
and intercepting nutrients as they travel through the
tributaries, drains and groundwater is a challenging task.
The research and innovation program that provides
sound technical information for managing the river
system also need development adaptation strategies.
Public opinion, both among policy-makers and the
public at large need to be developed to see rivers
associated with recreational culture. After living through
decades of depleted conditions, our generations have
grown up viewing streams as an environmental hazard,
not a resource to be enjoyed.
8.0 Inter Basin Water Transfer by Linking Indian
Rivers
Basins with water availability less than 1000 m3 per capita
per year are designated as scarce. Although, the average
figure (1540 m3 per capita as on 2011:Table-1) for India
if taken as a whole, indicates that India may not be water
deficit right now, but looking at the spatial distribution of
water varying widely from basin to basin (IWRS, 1996),
there is an utter need of water transfer from surplus to
scarce basins [IWRS (1996; Mazumder (2018)]. Only way
we can address the recurring problems of water shortage
in scarce basins is by interlinking rivers for transfer of
surplus flood water to drought prone areas. Besides
hydro-power, navigation, flood control and dry weather

flow augmentation, an additional area of 35 mha of land
can be brought under irrigation by river linking.A
perspective plan has been drawn to interlink Indian rivers
by constructing 30 link canals-14 in Himalayan and 16 in
Peninsular regions in India (NWDA,2005). Few Short
distance river links like Ken-Betwa have been readied for
implementation. Long distance links by successive
transfer of water from one river to another by
constructing some 30 small, medium and large reservoirs
are under exploration.
9. River Basin Authorities (RBA) under Water
Dispute Tribunals
As early as 1956, the Government of India had enacted
the River Boards Act, recognizing the necessity of some
organization for the control and regulation of interstate
river basins. No River board(RB) has been created for the
purpose in India under this Act. Tribunals set up under
the River Water Disputes Act,1958 have created
institutions similar toBasin Authorities for the Godavari,
Krishna, Narmada and Cauvery basins. Inter-State river
disputes have become a threat to the nation's unity and
Integrity.
10.0 Conclusions
River basin development is a key to all round
development of India.River Action Plan is a prolonged
process that requires considerable stamina on the part of
society and decision-makers. With some preliminary
projects initiated, the challenges to meaningful
rehabilitation of the country's rivers is still the biggest
challenge.Flood control and flood management are
essential to reduce flood damages, mostly in the north,
east and north-east part of India. Both structural and
non-structural measures are effective.Excess flood water
need to be transferred from surplus to drought prone
areas.With limited water availability and increasing
growth of population, only way left is to properly
manage water and to increase productivity of land per
unit of area and unit of water.
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Bharat Singh (1991), “Management of Irrigation in India
– A perspective” pub. in “Water Management” by Water
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Projects”`Pub. by Central Water Commission, Min. of
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SEMINAR ON
RIVER ACTION PLAN, FLOOD MANAGEMENT
AND BASIN DEVELOPMENT
water Res., River Dev. and Ganga Rejuvenation, Govt. of
India, april,2010
CWC(1993) “Water Resources Potential In The River
Basins Of India” chapter-1 : Publication by Central
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Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Govt. of India
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India”Pub. by Central Water Commission, Min. of Water
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jointly by CWC, IMD, RDSO &MORTH, Govt. of
India, Pub. by Hydrology Division of Central Water
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& Management in Bharat Nirman”, theme paper
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May 9th.
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development- problems and Prospects, theme paper
pub. on water resources day by IWRS, New Delhi
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in Reservoirs and Aquifers- Recharging Ground
Water”, Paper submitted for consideration of
publication in the Annual Volume on 'Water
Conservation and Management' by Civil Engg.Divn.
Board of The Institution of Engineers (India).
'Mazumder, S.K. (2018) "Inter-basin Water Transfer
through Link Canals-Some Problems and Solutions",
Paper published (Keynote speech) in the Int. con. on
Sustainable Technologies for intelligent water
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and IWRS during 16-18 February, 2018 at IIT, Roorkee.
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Merits, Demerits and Difficulties in Implementation”
published in the Journal of Bharati Vidyapeeth
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Embankments With Particular Reference To Kosi &
Farakka Barrages In India" paper published in the journal
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Galgotia Publications, 5, Ansari Road, Daryaganj, New-
Delhi-110 002
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Indian Rivers” Paper presented and published in the
National Conference on Hydraulics and Water Resources
with Special Emphasis on Inter- Linking Rivers,
HYDRO-2006, org. by Indian Society for Hydraulics and
Bharati Vidyapeeth, University College of Engineering,
Pune, 8-9 Dec
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irrigation schemes in India, keynote speech pub. in the
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issues and challenges, org by IWRS and WRDTC , IIT
(Roorkee), Oct. 2002
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Sons, Wiley International Edition.

FROM RIVER ACTION PLAN TO
RIVER REJUVENATION
Paritosh C. Tyagi
Former Chairman
Central Pollution Control Board
1. Introduction
1.1 Before saying anything about the journey from
River Action Plan to River Rejuvenation, I would
like to mention that I have been continuously
connected with it while in service and later as a
consultant
1.2 In early 1980s the Central Pollution Control Board
had completed studies on the status of pollution in
the river basins of Yamuna and Ganga. In the light
of these studies, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi
asked whether an Action Plan could be prepared
for river Ganga. Accordingly, a committee was
constituted headed by the Chairman of the Central
Pollution Control Board which drafted the Ganga
Action Plan. I am perhaps the only surviving
member of this committee.
1.3 Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi launched the Ganga
Action Plan in 1985. In 1995, a second phase of
Ganga Action Plan was taken up and river action
plans were initiated on several other rivers
including major tributaries of the Ganga and a few
polluted rivers in other States.
1.4 In 2008, the Central Government responded to
representations and agitations for restoring the
Holy Ganga to her pristine condition, by declaring
the Ganga as the National River and also
constituted the National Ganga River Basin
Authority headed by the Prime Minister and having
as members the Union Ministers of relevant
subjects and Chief Ministers of all the States
through which the main stream of river Ganga
flowed.
1.5 In 2010, the Central Government assigned the
preparation of Ganga River Basin Management
Plan to a consortium of seven Indian Institutes of
Technology which submitted a number of thematic
reports before presenting the Main Plan Document
in 2015.
29
SEMINAR ON
RIVER ACTION PLAN, FLOOD MANAGEMENT
AND BASIN DEVELOPMENT
1.6 In 2014, the responsibilities related to the action
plans for Ganga were transferred from the Ministry
of Environment, Forests and Climate Change to
the newly renamed Ministry of Water Resources,
River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation. On
the institutional side, the set up evolved from a
directorate created in 1986 in the Ministry of
Environment and Forests to the National Mission
for Clean Ganga, established in 2016 under the
Indian Societies Registration Act.
1.7 In this short paper, it not possible to describe the
technical and financial details of implementation. I
would like to focus on conceptual aspects that
determined the outcome of action plans.
2. Ganga Action Plan
2.1 The committee that drafted the Ganga Action Plan
was dominated by public health engineers who
looked at sewage and other wastes rather than the
river. The Action Plan conceived by them
attempted to intercept the inflow of sewage and
industrial effluent and convey them to a treatment
plant. The treated effluent was intended to be
discharged into the river. Only in small measures,
the treated effluent could be utilised for agricultural
purposes.
2.2 Ganga Project Directorate appraised the projects
submitted by the concerned States, released funds
for implementation and monitored progress. The
projects were planned and designed by the state
organisation dealing with public health
engineering. Inputs related to aspects other than
public health engineering were consequently
missing in the projects.
2.3 During the implementation of the Ganga Action
Plan, biological aspects got picked up in which
turtles were recognised as good scavengers; small
components related to river front development,
low cost sanitation and electric crematoria were
 also included in the Action Plan for abating
pollution. Bilateral assistance guided the
programme of water quality monitoring and
modelling.
3. Lessons from Ganga Action Plan
3.1 Many shortcomings have been observed by various
persons and organisations in the Ganga Action
Plan. Some significant observations are related to
the following:
v Focus was on a fragment, that is, pollution
rather than the river.
v There was no thought given to the need for a
certain quantity of flow in the river (later
identified as environmental flows).
v There was no provision for dealing with
pollution caused by tributaries.
v Local bodies and local authorities were not
involved in the planning and implementation
of the project.
v In the absence of an uninterrupted source of
power, effluent overflows to the river.
v Cost recovery measures were not an essential
component of the project.
v Building capacity for operation and
maintenance of the completed facilities was
not part of the project.
v There has been no activity related to research
on how to make the river sustainable and
healthy.
v Socio-economic aspects related to the
population dependent on the river were
overlooked.
3.2 It is easy with hind sight to trace the origin of
shortcomings in the composition of the drafting
committee and in the institutional arrangements
for implementation. The lessons point towards the
need for adopting an inter-disciplinary approach
and maintaining local contacts.
4. Ganga Rejuvenation
4.1 Concern for the Ganga as a river emerged through
the planned efforts of World Wide Fund for Nature
(WWF) which was participating in an international
programme for Living Rivers; a few non-
governmental organisations, like the Yamuna Jiye
30
Abhiyan and Ganga Mahasabha; public interest
litigation mainly by Shri MC Mehta and a few
individual crusaders, such as Dr GD Agrawal (now
known as Swami Gyan Swarup Saanand).
4.2 The Central Government responded to the
aforesaid activities in 2008 by declaring river Ganga
as the National River, holding up the construction
on certain projects on the river, setting up the
National Ganga River Basin Authority headed by
the Prime Minister, and engaging in 2010 a
consortium of seven Indian Institutes of
Technology to prepare the Ganga River Basin
Management Plan.
4.3 The term Ganga Rejuvenation came up in 2014
with the transfer of all activities related to the
Ganga from the Ministry of Environment, Forests
and Climate Change to the renamed Ministry of
Water Resources, River Development and Ganga
Rejuvenation.
4.4 I n 2 0 1 4 , d e c l a r a t i o n o f N a m a m i G a n g e
programme and Inland Navigation Programme,
both for River Ganga, raised new aspirations and
apprehensions. However, while legislation on
inland navigation was enacted in less than two years
after the present government was formed, the bill
for the National River Ganga is yet to be placed
before the Parliament.
5. River Development
5.1 Development and rejuvenation together place
greater emphasis on the river than has been given in
the past. However, these terms have not yet been
clearly defined along with measurable parameters.
5.2 Certain common notions in this regard are, for
example, the river front development, flood
protection and river navigation. Truly speaking,
none of them has any positive contribution in
developing or rejuvenating the river.
5.3 In the sense that inland navigation creates an
economically gainful service from the river, it
appears correct to look at inland navigation as a
project for river development, the same way as
urbanisation develops land. But if economic value
of damage to aquatic life, interference with the
river due to dredging or construction of barrages,
etc., are taken into consideration, the economic
gain may get substantially reduced or even reversed.

5.4 The relation between river development and river
basin development needs to be understood more
clearly. Likewise, the option between river valley
projects and off-stream projects has also to be
investigated in detail.
5.5 In the context of water quality, a unique and
unparalleled property of water of river Ganga is her
capacity to counteract contamination and purify
itself. Research is important to find the source of
such capacity and methods to protect and restore it.
6. Measuring Success
6.1 Progress is commonly reported by the expenditure
made on the project. It is a simple parameter but it
does not assess the achievement of project
objectives. Relevant and appropriate parameters
will be possible to be evolved after river
development and Ganga rejuvenation are defined.
6.2 For the present, the key aspect relevant to
measuring the success of any programme for
development and rejuvenation of a river is
suggested to be whether the river is kept healthy
enough to perform her functions adequately. It may
be remembered that the functions of the river
include transport of water and sediments towards
downstream, provision of habitat for aquatic life,
recharge of ground water and meeting the basic
needs of population dependent on the river. The
ability of the river to perform her functions may be
viewed as a measure of river health.
7. Recommendations
7.1 Social, economic and ecological aspects have to be
considered in the case of a river besides hydrology
and water quality. For this purpose, an inter-
disciplinary team is essential. Instead of setting up
such teams, reliance should not be placed on setting
31
SEMINAR ON
RIVER ACTION PLAN, FLOOD MANAGEMENT
AND BASIN DEVELOPMENT
up very high-level authorities that can hardly spare
attention.
7.2 Lessons from the experience gained during the
planning, implementation and operation of
facilities under the Ganga Action Plan, as noted,
need to be adopted in an urgent and decisive
manner. In particular, besidesinter-disciplinary
teams, contact with stakeholders and local
authorities must be established.
7.3 Wastewater must be treated and recycled rather
than discharged into the river. A corollary of this
recommendation is decentralised sewage treatment
systems and reuse of treated sewage for flushing
toilets, landscaping, horticulture and cooling the
condensers of centralised air-conditioning
installations.
7.4 The proposed enactment for the National River
(Ganga) should not be delayed any more.
7.5 The terms 'River Development' and 'Ganga
Rejuvenation' should be clearly defined and
objectives set for them as early as possible.
7.6 How other major development projects, such as
inland navigation and interlinking or rivers, shall
have impact on the river should be considered along
with other aspects for such projects.
7.7 The off-stream measures are no less important than
the in-stream measures for restoring the health of
the river. Such off-stream measures include storage
of water in the gorges and bowls in the topography
of Himalayan ranges, protection of springs,
recharge of groundwater by various methods and
management of agricultural and other activities in
the river basin.
7.8 Research on self-purifying capacity of river Ganga
and parameters to evaluate river health should be
taken up on priority.
 INDIA'S WATER EQUATION:
SOMEDATA CONCERNS&ITS INTERPRETATIONS
Abstract
I n India, water has been an object of worship from
time immemorial though the mind of its populace
is still grasping in identifying water as the biggest
international challenge. The disagreement is palpable
due to the fact that across the world 783 million people
have no access to clean & safe water with 80% of the
global diseases are related to poor water conditions and
nearly one out of every five deaths in under-five
mortality rate (U5MR) worldwide is due to a water
related disease. Though UN sug gests that the
Millennium Development Goals on drinking water has
been met sans sanitation and as per WHO report, for
every $1 invested in water & sanitation, there is an
economic return between $3 and $34.India has rapidly
becomea focal point of the issues arising from poor
availability of drinking water. Approximately 334
million Indians still lack access to safe drinking water.
As per World Bank report, Diarrhea alone, exclusively
circulated by poor drinking water, is the cause of daily
death of 500 children under the age of five. The World
Bank also estimates that 21% of communicable
diseases in India are related to unsafe water. The Asian
Development Bank has forecasted that by 2030, India
will have a water deficit of 50 per cent. Estimates are
that the cost of problems related to poor drinking water
is about $ 4.2 billion or about Rs. 26,000 crore annually.
The flip side of the problem is that this cost is almost
borne by the economically deprived, especially the rural
population.
Our country is having about 16% of world population,
but water resources are only 4%. It is the rain water,
which flows through rivers, recharges ground water &
accumulates in water bodies. Annual precipitation
through rain & snow melting are the main water supply
sources (~ 4000 billion cum) but is distributed in
32
Mainak Ghosal
Prof, Consultant
(Formerly Asst.
Engineer, Public Health
Engineering Directorate,
Govt. of W. Bengal)
uneven manner both in terms of quantity &quality.
About 75% of it is during rainy season only, while the
consumption is throughout the year. Therefore water
stress condition is felt throughout the whole year as is
currently witnessed in few states & ongoing water
disputes between Tamil Nadu/Kerala/Karnataka,
Maharashtra/Andhra Pradesh/Karnataka &
Punjab/Haryana .Though, Government of India has
come up with a National Water Policy 2012 with a focus
on meeting its agricultural, environmental & domestic
use demands; the Policy is totally silent on mobilization
of capital investments.
Water is a state subject who has limited resources but
huge responsibilities. So the water management
activities which need huge capital investment fail to
gather momentum due to its perception as 'free
commodity'. However,recently some states like Odisha
has formulated their own water policy which is a silver
lining. Water is a fundamental human right as
recognized by UN, though in India, the right to water is
not enshrined as a fundamental right in our national
Constitution. Courts at both state and federal level have
interpreted Article 21 of the Constitution, the right to
life, as encompassing the right to safe and sufficient
water and sanitation.
1. INTRODUCTION
In recent years, water issues have been the focus of
increasing concernand debate. It is evident that water is
an increasingly scarce and valuable resource and one the
principal concerns is our failure to recognize and accept
that there is a finite supply of water. There is also a
consensus that the growing water scarcity
and misuse of freshwater poses serious threats to
sustainable development.The competition for limited
water resources between various priority sectors is

already constraining development efforts in many
countries including India. Moreover, the demands of a
rapidly industrializing economy and urbanizing society
come at a time when the potential for augmenting
supply is limited, water tables are falling leading to
adecline of water table to the extent of 3-5 cm per
annum according to a recent assessment by the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA)and water quality issues have increasingly come
to the fore. As we drill deeper for water, our
groundwater gets contaminated with fluoride, arsenic
and uranium. Both our rivers and our ground water are
polluted by untreated effluents and sewage that
continue to be dumped into them. When water is
available, it is likely to be contaminated (up to70% of
our water supply), resulting in nearly 200,000 deaths
each year which is more than deaths caused by road
accidents. Interstate disagreements are on the rise, with
seven major disputes currently raging, pointing to the
fact that limited frameworks and institutions are in
place for national water governance. Climate change
poses fresh challenges with its impacts on the
hydrologic cycle. More extreme rates of precipitation
and evapo-transpiration will exacerbate impacts of
floods and droughts. If nothing really happens, then
things will turn from worse to worst as India's water
demand will exceed supply by a factor of two by 2030.
Figure1: Demand and supply of water Figure 2:NITI
in India (forecast)in BCM Aayog's CWMI
Note 1.Water supply for 2008 is Narasimhan's es mates of
650 BM which differs from the Planning Commission's
es mate of 1123.2.Demand for 2008 are based on Planning
Commission's es mate.3.Supply & Demand for 2030 are
projec ons by McKinsey & Water Resource Group(WRG).
The need for a National Water Policy in India was first
felt by P.M., the visionary late Rajiv Gandhi, way back
in 1987 and since then two more policies on Water were
formulated, one in 2002 & the latest in 2012.Though
33
SEMINAR ON
RIVER ACTION PLAN, FLOOD MANAGEMENT
AND BASIN DEVELOPMENT
the first two policies explicitly prioritized drinking
water over irrigation, industrial & other uses, the last
one has done away with it -“After meeting the minimum
quantity of water required for survival of human beings
and ecosystem, water must be used as an economic
good with higher priority towards basic livelihood
support to the poor and ensuring national food
security”.Given this apparent emergence of limits to
further development of water resources in large parts
of the countr y, the Twelfth Plan proposes a
fundamental change in the principles, approach and
strategies of Water Management in India. This
paradigm shift was the outcome of a new and inclusive
process of plan formulation, which saw the coming
together of practitioners and professionals from
government, academia, industry and civil society to
draft the Plan. aligning itself with the tune of National
Water Policy 2012 which says, “Water needs to be
managed as a community resource held, by the state,
under public trust doctrine to achieve food security,
livelihood, and equitable and sustainable development
for all” stressing the fact that “The service provider role
of the state has to be gradually shifted to that of a
regulator of services and facilitator for strengthening
the institutions responsible for planning,
implementation and management of water resources”.
Some of the key policy highlights include:
v Basin-level Governance: The consolidation of
several river authorities into the central Ministry of
v Water Resources, to enable better decision-making
for surface water projects and allocation.
v Groundwater Bill: The drafting and discussion of a
model groundwater bill that defines groundwater
as being held 'in trust' by the government and
specifies a decentralized str ucture for its
governance.
v Innovative Irrigation: The renewed focus on
micro-irrigation adoption by farmers in the
Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)
to enable efficient on-farm water use.
v Global Partnerships: The formalization of a
partnership with Israel, the world leader in water
governance and conservation, to leverage Israeli
experience and knowledge for water conservation
in India.

Figure3:Water policy meline in India
Further, global events and examples have highlighted
both the potential implications of water scarcity and the
pathways to achieve water security. The worsening
water crisis in Cape Town, South Africa, withthe city
hovering dangerously close to 'Day Zero' (when it runs
out of water), has caused water rationingand civil strife
in the city, and has highlighted the risks and challenges
that lie ahead for many Indian cities,including
Bangalore.
Building on this policy push, NITI Aayog has sought to
e s t a b l i s h a ' C o m p o s i t e Wa t e r M a n a g e m e n t
Index'(CWMI) for the country as shown in Fig.2.This
Index is expected to establish a public, national
platform providing information onkey water indicators
across states. This platform will help in monitoring
p e r f o r m a n c e , i m p r o v i n g t r a n s p a r e n c y, a n d
encouraging competition, thereby boosting the
country's water achievements by fostering the spirit of
'competitive and cooperative federalism' among the
states. Further, the data canalso be used by researchers,
entrepreneurs, and policymakers to enable broader
ecosystem in novation for water in India. However, one
of the key challenge levelers is the lack of water data.
Data systems related to water in the country are limited
in their coverage, robustness, and efficiency. For
example States like Jammu & Kashmir, West Bengal,
Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur & Mizoram have no water
data available with them for sharing with NITI Aayog.
2. BRIEF DISCUSSION
Water is covered under state's responsibilities, who have
limited resources. In this context, the above activities
need huge capital investments but everybody expects
water as free commodity. No state government will
prefer to recover cost from agriculture which is the
largest consumer of water at 87% followed by industry
34
& domestic use at 8% & 5%.If we are really serious to
deal with anticipated water shortage in future, we
should mobilize enough investment resources. Our
recent Water National Policy is totally silent on
mobilization of capital resources. For an economy to
run we need 4 wheels namely private investment,
private consumption, government spending & public
investment, but how can you expect the economy to run
on only government expenditures. The Policy is
prescribing to frame new regulations, which will
ultimately rely on industries having less than 5%
consumption share. It is also restricting the use of
ground water. In reality, ground water acts as storage
and unless we use, it cannot be recharged and the rain
water will go to sea instead of ground recharging.
Hence, we should essentially consume ground water;
but in a balanced manner. Such limits are to be
prescribed by experts and to be monitored by
government agencies. Likewise, several concerns could
have been addressed in national policy, with specific
focus on investment for building new capacities and
reducing consumption.11
States like Gujrat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil
Nadu, Rajasthan etc. have their respective policies on
water and recently Odisha have formulated a water
policy of their own. The latter prescribes stringent
restriction on industrial use. Several thousands of
crores of industrial investments were not approved on
the ground of water scarcity despite the fact that
Odisha has 11% water share of country, with 3.5%
population. Even existing industries drawing water
from inception, are being restricted to continue their
operation & impractical conditions like building 3
month storages are being imposed. Such restrictions is
uncalled for, on industries which consume below 3%.It
shall not be helpful for achieving real solution but it will
certainly slow down the economic growth of the state.
While for the former, there has been no check on
wastage of water in their cities. While cities such as
Chennai have adopted rainwater harvesting effectively,
big cities like Mumbai never bothered to take these
measures seriously. Fourteen years ago, the Mumbai
civic body in the city made rainwater harvesting
compulsory for new constructions beyond a specific
area. Out of 5,000 new constructions, only 1,848 made
the provision for the same. It shows how seriously our
authorities take the water conservation measures.

3. CONCLUSIONS
Yesterday, nations went to war for land. Today, conflict
involves energy. And tomorrow, the battles will be
about water if not this issue is tackled properly.
Investment is the key solution to the entire problem of
water. The following steps need to be effected.
(i) Water Pricing for controlling consumption: It is
necessary to recover the cost from consumer, even
if it is for agricultural use.
(ii) Irrigation Technologies for reducing consumption:
We should prefer latest technologies to reduce
consumption of 87% by 40-70%.
(iii) Water Storage & Rain Harvesting: Multiple
strategies like using check dams/barrages,
MGNREGA scheme, plan for sand/silt removal
etc.
(iv) Use of Ground Water needs rational use: On the
lines of Model Ground Water Bill 2017.
(v) Inter Connection of Rivers for a long-term & real
solution: This dream project can be a game changer
if implemented judiciously.
(vi) Equal Distribution among States for avoiding
future conflicts: To have a Regulatory Body at the
National level.
(vii) Crop Diversion after technical & social study: On
the lines of NABARD-ICRIER study which
advocates disincentivising cultivation of water
intensive crops like sugarcane in Maharashtra &
rice in Punjab and move them to eastern Indian
states through better procurement policies.
35
SEMINAR ON
RIVER ACTION PLAN, FLOOD MANAGEMENT
AND BASIN DEVELOPMENT
(viii)Drinking Water Supply to be made topmost
priority amongst all: It is very unfortunate that we
could not arrange safe drinking water for all in the
last 60 years & this sector needs priority investment
like installing small water treatment plant attached
to public tube well with periodic quality monitoring
since it is really difficult to provide extensive water
supply system in scattered villages & towns.
(ix) Water Pollution must be reduced by all means:
Industry is generally considered as the main water
polluter and enough regulations exist but the
biggest polluters are municipalities & corporations.
Singapore is recycling entire municipal discharge to
reduce its water import which may be followed
here.
(x) Industrial Use is suffering due to activism, needs
logical review: Any restriction on industrial use of
water is not going to solve water shortage problem
but it can definitely hamper economic growth.
REFERENCES
1. Tur n Around India, R.P.Gupta, Himalaya
Publishing House, ISBN: 978-93-5097-548-0.
2. Water: Towards a Paradigm Shift in the Twelfth
Plan,Mihir Shah,Economic & Political Weekly,Vol
xlviiI no 3,pp 40-52.
3. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282913105
 GANGA ACTION PLAN — A DEEMED ETERNITY
A SITUATION REVIEW OF RIVER GANGA
T he mighty river Ganga originates from
Himalayan glaciers at Gangotri and meanders
through the Indian states of Uttarakhand, Uttar
Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and finally through
neighbouring country Bangladesh to eventually
discharge into Bay of Bengal .It traverses about 2500
Km length and has a vast basin area of -1100000 Sq
Km.
The supreme religious reference of the great river
Ganga with billions of Hindus world over is absolute.
Also absolute is the reference to the river as the lifeline
for about 300 millions of north Indians as it supports
their very existence someway or other and there is no
alternative to the river. While most are aware of these
values of the river and hence worship the river as ''Ma
Ganga''or ''Ganga Mai' meaning Mother Ganga, they
probably are unaware of the fact that the river is under
the threat of extinction caused by most ruthless and
cruel exploitation as also the harms caused by
themselves. Tons of puja materials are dumped into the
river as rituals, many million litters of liquid waste flows
into the river, solid waste of similar volume finds way
into the river including burned or partially burnt dead
bodies along with pyre materials are dumped into the
river as ritual, People happily defecate in the banks and
abluse. Such practices are continuing through the
centuries with very little corrective measures by
stakeholders in place. Such practices are encouraged by
the ageold belief that Ganga is Punya Salila or Holy
Flowing water which can cleanse everything including
the sins by human. The belief was partially true when
the Ganga was predominantly a river receiving only
small quantities of waste. It is claimed that the Ganga
water has a purification capacity 10 times higher than
any other river in India. Now the situation however is
going reverse due to diminishing flow through the river
which receives huge pollution load added to inadequate
corrective support by authorities have led to the present
state of affairs. Even after 33 years of Ganga Action
36
M J Deb
Former Executive Director
Consulting Engineering
Services (I) Pvt Ltd
Plans journey, some experts lament that water quality
of river Ganga is not fit for bathing
Ganga has 50 nos of major towns and numerous small
towns/ villages /hamlets/communities are situated on
its banks, which draw entire of their water needs from
the river and discharges back most of this quantity as
dirty water into river as most towns and communities
are either unsewered or only partially sewered. Some
amount of community solid waste also gets dumped
into the river from these habitations. Ganga is
worshipped all through its length and hence numerous
performances are held on the banks at permanent as
well as temporary centres regularly. Certain spots are
famous for large aggregation of people on special
occasions such as Kumbh Mela, Ardh Kumbh Mela,
Chhat Parab etc. when millions of people take holly dip
into the river and makes offerings, there by multiplying
the woos of Ganga as large bulks of wastes gets
discharged into the river. River Ganga is the most
favoured destination of millions for performing last
rites and hence large no of deads are burned and
remains immersed into the river, occasionally including
partially burnt bodies and is a matter of very serious
concern. Going by the strong belief many people travel
from far of places to immerse ashes of dead ones into
the river. The river along its course receives contents of
few major tributaries namely Yamuna, Chambal,
Gandak etc. and a large no of minor tributaries, all with
individual pollution loads. The river receives substantial
amount of pollution load from agricultural fields on its
banks form of pesticides and fertilisers. About 300 no
major industrial units are located near the banks of the
river, which along with many other minor units
discharge considerable quantity of highly
contaminated waste water into the river.
The river is losing its flow quantum as is obvious from
sights of dried up small tributaries, rivulets streams,
springs etc in the catchment which were perennial in the
near past. Whereas huge quantities of water is being

withdrawn from the river to meet the agricultural and
community needs without optimisation. The river
receives huge amount of silt from its basin consequent
t o m a s s i ve d e f o r e s t a t i o n a n d u n c o n t r o l l e d
construction activities leading to further deterioration
of the river. Affects of Global Wor ming and
behavioural pattern of Glaciers feeding the river are
matters of grave concern and may be disastrous.
Above is a brief account of the situation with river
Ganga and the extent of stress it is suffering. The river,
for its immense religious sanctity and material bliss has
to be protected by all possible means with firm
commitment and completeness till Eternity.
A STATUS REVIEW - GANGA ACTION PLANS
Being alerted by the situation, National Govt. launched
Ganga Action Plan-Phase-1 in 1985.This was the first
organised intervention towards reviving the river. The
action plan was meticulously drawn and was inclusive as
covered several items such as-- Afforestation, Setting
up of Continuous Water Quality Monitoring devices,
Crocodile farming, Ghat sanitation, construction of
Electric Crematoria etc. besides large scale Sewerage
systems in towns of Rishikesh, Haridwar, Kanpur,
Ghazipur, Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna, Baranagar-
Kamarhati, Kolkata etc. A Phase-2 was launched next
to cover mainly the tributaries of Ganga namely
Yamuna and others. Next came a National River Action
Plan and now a Ganga Rejuvination programme has
been launched. River Ganga has been declared as the
National River. The programmes were framed
following successive missions with wider scope.
Starting originally as an wing of the Ministry of
Environment, the organisational set up has undergone
major evolution, it first became a Directorate and now a
full fledged Ministry. In addition, the State agencies also
are participating in such programmes both in planning
and execution. Many other agencies such as NGOs,
social and religious groups are also showing concern
and are participating substantially in various
prog rammes. Several prog rammes are being
implemented through three long decades by many
agencies but achievements are still wanting though
billions of taxpayers money has been spent Substantial
amount of works have been executed through past
decades towards reviving the river and results are
percievable though much to be achieved yet due to ever
increasing gap between onslaught of damages to the
river vis-a-vis the interventions it has received.
37
SEMINAR ON
RIVER ACTION PLAN, FLOOD MANAGEMENT
AND BASIN DEVELOPMENT
It is essential and probably not too late yet to conduct a
comprehensive and independent assessment of the
implemented assets as regards fulfilment of designated
goals by those. Shortfalls may be addressed with
priority Fresh initiatives to be launched with urgency.
The river for its long term sustenance needs to be
'worshipped' and looked after adequately till eternity.
The drawbacks could essentially be comprising the
following :-
A) Inadequacy in programme formulation.
B) Multi agency involvement and coordination.
C) Deficient implementation management
D) Deficient post implementation monitoring,
operation and maintenance.
The programmes were formulated with extreme care by
national level agencies taking inputs from international
expertise and experiences. The programmes were also
updated from time to time incorporating components
of concern. As such the programme includes
components like afforestation, low cost sanitation, ghat
sanitation, retention of bio diversity in the river,
dredging of river bed etc besides primary thrust on
sewerage system. The programme was almost all
inclusive. Enhancement of flow (not the 'minimum
ecological flow') through river through source
protection including the protection of glaciers have not
been adequately covered in programmes, though are
essential for long term sustenance of the river.
A mission of such vast magnitude has to involve large
no agencies, which have diverse vision, objectives,
priorities and interests which may lead to inter agency
disputes, duplicacies, interferences etc which may
eventually harm the objective. A strong and effective
central authority has to control, coordinate and
monitor all works in, for and pertaining to Ganga.
Implementation of such a programme with wide range
of diversity through long years will face numerous
challenges of varied nature and extent, involving social,
regulator y, leg al, environmental and ecolog y.
Implementation management therefore demands
extreme care, devotion and accountability by a skilled
work force to continue till completion. Some challenges
are complex in nature and can be solved with dedicated
and intense efforts. Setting up of Sewerage Systems
were priority works taken up by Ganga Action Plan and
a system was being executed in Haridwar duringlate
eighties.The authorities faced the problem of house
connections as households were reluctant to comply
with. Authorities made several efforts including
allowing financial incentives. Benefits though accrued
were not to the desired extent. As a result the STP was
grossly underutilised through a long period. Greater
challenge was with several structures constructed
immediately adjacent to water course. These structures
house residential accommodations, hotels, shops,
religious centers etc and extended as deep as to two
floors below with bottommost floor at water level in the
river. Waste water from such structures cannot
normally be collected into sewer lines, neither the lower
floors could be sealed. Eventually waste water from
such structures and other unconnected households will
find way into the river. In order to tackle similar issues in
Varanasi, laying of a deep sewer along the bank was
contemplated but feasibility became an issue. An
arrangement of suction of Septic Tank content by
mobile Tankers fitted with suction/pumping
arrangement may be considered for all such households
unconnected. One tanker arrangement will cater to
about 1000 households.
Above is one example among many hurdles of varied
nature, the implementing agencies have to encounter
for which innovative, inexpensive and effective
solutions need be developed and executed.
No programme for sustainable revival of Ganga will be
complete unless most aggressive steps are initiated to
enhance flow through itself.
A strong and effective Programme monitoring set up
independent and unbiassed has to be in place for
success and achievement of goals. This set uphas to be
involved right at commencement of implementation
phase to ensure timely commencement and completion
of various components of the programme. The set up
will report to the central agency regarding progress and
suggest actions in advance to counter delays owing to
issues. The set up should also monitor water quality and
quantity on a regular basis to evaluate actual
achievement of goals. Grossly deficient operation and
maintenance of project assets is a perennial challenge.
Assets must not be created unless adequate resource
provisions are guaranteed. Monitoring of O & M status
also can be divested with this agency.
SUGGESTED RECOMMENDATIONS
As follow up to discussions in previous paragraphs few
recommendations apparent but urgent, are forwarded
38
as below for the cause of revival and existence of the
river.
(A) P r o g r a m m e M o n i t o r i n g C e l l : - A s t r o n g
Programme Monitoring Cell, independent and
unbiassed has to be to set up to monitor various
aspects such as prog ramme development,
implementation status, water quality & quantity on
real time basis, status of regulatory compliance,
E n v i r o n m e n t a l a n d E c o l o g i c a l a s p e c t s,
coordination among agencies for all activities and
programmes related to river Ganga.
(B) Investigative Analysis of Works and Operation &
Maintenance:- All works components, completed
and ong oing are to be evaluated through
comprehensive investigative analyses to establish
extent of conformity towards mission goals,
completeness, O&M status and long ter m
provisions. O&M being a major issue provision of
adequate O&M support has to be ensured before
those are executed. The shortfalls and issues to be
reported and quantified for immediate
implementation. An inventory of all assets created
for Ganga is to be developed with extreme care and
details including Infrastructure mapping for long
term preservation.
(C) Dry Weather Flow :- Large quantity of waste water -
municipal and industrial, flow into the river
unabated and untreated as dry weather flow.
Efforts by authorities could not make much
headway in this direction. All such outfalls need
be identified and schemes are implemented to
intercept entire amount of dry weather flow and
divert to nearby STPs/ETPs. Only treated effluent
must be discharged back into the river.
(D) Burning ghat/Crematoria Waste :- Such wastes will
require special attention. Such offerings/
immersions should strictly be made in earmarked
locations of water spread. Manual retrieval of such
waste is difficult. Consideration may be made to
segregate and divert the portion of affected flow to
be subjected to appropriate treatment and
discharging back into the river.
(E) Basin Management and source augmentation :-
Appropriate level of basin management is the
answer to counter the threat of diminishing flow.
Ganga basin is vast covering almost entire extent of
the northern part of India with wide range of

diversity. Several agencies are engaged in
management of respective areas and sub basins,
which need be strengthened.
1) Continuous strips of land on both the banks of
river to be established, earmarked and firmly
protected identifying river land where no activities
will be permitted other than those approved by
Ganga authorities. These land strips may be handed
over to the Deptt. of Forest for protection and
upkeep.
2) Northernmost part of the basin covering generally
the state of Uttarakhand, occupies almost one third
of total Ganga Basin and deserves most special
attention.
It is well understood that by enhancing flow of water
through the river its pollution level can be abated
significantly for which afforestation and development
control are to be enforced strictly.
Uttarakhand with its rainfall and glacier resources feed
the entire North India through river Ganga and hence
can be termed as the lone " Water Bucket''for North
India and hence its environment and ecology specially
the water resources has to be preserved with highest
level of priority. The state however is undergoing
extensive construction activities and is a serious threat
to its environment and ecology eventually causing
serious damage to river Ganga.
Ganga is now the declared National River and hence
Uttarakhand must be treated as a national cause.
Following steps need be seriously considered for
implementation with priority.
a) Uttaranchal should be declared as a state under
special category as regards environment, ecology
and river Ganga.
b) Enforce stringent development control norms.
Every structure, situated adjacent to large and small
towns should be scutinised for compliance with
environmental and ecological norms as also flow
through Ganga. Non- compliant structures should
be demolished forthwith or at least made to comply
with zero discharge norms.
c) Extensive Afforestation throughout the state is the
answer towards survival of Ganga. Entire amount
39
SEMINAR ON
RIVER ACTION PLAN, FLOOD MANAGEMENT
AND BASIN DEVELOPMENT
of vacant land or land mass so retrieved should be
earmarked as Forest Land category. Most extensive
and vigorous afforestation works must be executed
resuming immediately with highest priority.
d) A Land Use plan, with particular reference to
extension of forest land has to be developed
meticulously for development control and has to be
adhered to strictly. The development plan should
also consider to encourage residents in hamlets
located in extreme and difficult terrain conditions
to be shifted and rehabilitated to easier locations.
Such hamlets are generally devoid of basic facilities
and ex-migration is common. Land such vacated
can be converted to forest land.
e) All streams and water courses have to be provided
with Silt Traps or are to be routed through
treatment facilities before discharged into a river.
(f) Himalayan Glaciers are one of the key
components of water resources are showing signs
of degradation, which are required to be protected
and revived through extensive research and
development activities.
(g) Huge amounts of water in bulks are withdrawn
from Ganga to meet various needs such as
irrigation, municipal, industrial etc, 80% of which
is for irrigation alone. Drawals are not always
rational rather indiscriminate. A stringent
regulatory mechanism has to be in place allowing
withdrawal of only optimum quantity of water
through minimising losses and adopting various
water saving modes.
(h) Extensive awareness campaign may be conducted
along the banks of the river highlighting plight of
Ganga and slogans like " Save Ganga - Save All"etc..
Suggested recommendations as above though will
require large scale resources and efforts but for the
survival of river Ganga, these must be attempted as a
continuous process and strongest resolve towards this
national key issue.
All tributaries of Ganga must also be approached with
similar methodology for improved result.
 CHALLEGES OF FLOOD CONTROL AND
RIVER TRAINING IN INDIA

S.K.Mazumder
AICTE Emeritus Fellow and
Professor of Civil Engineering
Former Delhi College
of Engineering (DCE/DTU)

F loods are natural phenomena. In a tropical

country like India, floods are mainly due to
excessive rainfall in a short period during
monsoon. Other causes of floods are
v Unplanned sudden release of water from reservoirs
v Inadequate channel capacities/Meandering
v Landslides / river blockages
v Poor drainage
v Glacier outburst
v Lack of soil and water conservation
Out of a geographical area of 329 mha , flood prone area
in India is about 40mha as estimated by Rastriya Bar
Ayog (RBA). Although, floods occur allover India, it is
predominant in the north, east and north-east part of our
country as shown in Fig.1.
Both urban and rural areas are susceptible to flood
damage.Table-1 Illustrates the average and maximum
damages that occurred in the past due to flooding.
Floods are area specific and hence flood control
measures vary from basin to basin. In his paper, Author
wishes to discuss some of the structural and non-
structural measures of flood control and River Training
in India, highlighting river-structure interaction.

Table -1

Item Average Maximum(Year)

Area Affected (Million Hectare) 7.51 17.50(1978)

Crop Area Affected (Million Hectare) 3.65 10.15(1988)

Popula on Affected (crore) 3.29 7.045(1978)

Human Lives Lost (Nos.) 1601 11,316(1977)

Ca le Lost (Nos.) 92,828 6,18,248(1979)

Houses Damaged (Nos.) 12,17,461 35,07,542(1978)

Value of damage to crops (crore) 713.25 4246.62(2000)

Value of damage to house (crore) 279.86 1307.89(1995)

Value of damage to public u li es (crore) 825.45 5604.46(2001)

Value of damage to crops, houses & public u li es (crore) 1818.56 8864.54(2000)

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 SEMINAR ON
RIVER ACTION PLAN, FLOOD MANAGEMENT
AND BASIN DEVELOPMENT

FLOOD PRONE AREAS

Fig.1 Showing Flood Prone Areas in India

41
INTEGRATED FLOOD MANAGEMENT APPROACH FOR THE
MEKONG RIVER BASIN

Guna N Paudyal,
PhD
ABSTRACT Professor

The Mekong river is a transboundary river, which flows along with its tributaries, from catchments in China,
Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Viet Nam. A very large and diverse population living in all the countries
belonging to the Mekong river basin depend on the water resources of the Mekong River system. In addition to the
economic development of the Mekong Region, the Mekong river system is directly connected to the environmental
and socio-political system.
The four downstream, countries namely, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Viet Nam suffer from devastating
floods of the lower Mekong River. Therefore, the Mekong River Commission has developed and implemented an
integrated flood management and mitigation programme since over a decade. This paper will present the strategy
and formulation of the integrated and multidisciplinary flood management and mitigation programme.

42
 SEMINAR ON
RIVER ACTION PLAN, FLOOD MANAGEMENT
AND BASIN DEVELOPMENT

SEDIMENT TRANSPORT AND MANAGEMENT

IN GANGA RIVER

Prof. Z Ahmad
Dept. of Civil Engineering,
IIT Roorkee
ABSTRACT
Sediment load in Ganga river is amongst one of the highest in the world. Ganga river experiences large seasonal
fluctuations in discharge and sediment load resulting in significant changes in its morphology. Shifting of the river
course is generally accomplished by erosion of habitated and pricey agricultural area that cause tremendous losses.
Siltation in the river poses severe flooding problem. Therefore, it is important to know the sediment transport
capacity of the river so that issue related to erosion and siltation can be managed by deploying some suitable
measures.
Spatio-temporal variation of suspended sediment load (SSL) in the monsoon season in the Ganga river has
been studied by quantifying SSL at various hydrological observational (H.O.) stations. Further, erosion and siltation
in the different reaches of the Ganga river from Buxar to Farakka has been quantified on the basis of the sediment
mass balance study. From the consideration of the suspended sediment load (SSL), Ganga river may be divided into
three distinct reaches i.e., a) Devprayag to Allahabad; b) Allahabad to Buxar, and c) Buxar to Farakka. Average SSL
in the monsoon period in these reaches are 26, 108 and 189 MT/yr, respectively. Maximum SSL has been observed
at Gandhighat which can be attributed to inflow of sediment into Ganga river from Ghaggra, Sone and Gandak
rivers.
Suspended sediment load in the monsoon period of the major tributaries at their outfall H.O. stations joining
Ganga river downstream of Buxar have been analysed and quantified. Even though Kosi river is considered to be
highly sedimented river in north India, however, Ghaggra river contributes 130 MT/yr sediment to the Ganga river
- about three times more sediment than the Kosi river. Gandak river contributes about 35 MT/yr sediment to
Ganga river which is comparable to Kosi river.
Erosion and siltation study in the reach from Buxar to Farakka reveals that on an average there is about 30
MT/yr siltation in the reach between Buxar and Gandhighat while no noticeable erosion/siltation is found between
Gandhighat and Hathidah. Heavy siltation is observed from Hathidah to Farakka. Kosi river joins the Ganga river
near Krusela at chainage of 121 km and contributes about 40 MT/yr of sediment load. Net siltation between
Hathidah and Azamabad is estimated as 74 MT/yr while the siltation between Azamabad and Farakka is observed
to be 56 MT/yr. Heavy siltation in the reach from Hathidah to Farakka may be due to low sediment carrying
capacity of the river which can be attributed to wideness and shallowness of the river. Siltation in the upstream of
the Farakka barrage up to its pondage fetch may be due to back water effect of the barrage, however, this aspect is to
be investigated through modelling. Present study reveals that there is about 200 MT/yr siltation of suspended
sediment in the Ganga river from Buxar to Farakka in the monsoon period. As the bed load is about 20 % of the
total load, thus total siltation of the sediment in this reach is estimated as 250 MT per year. Siltation in the lower
reach of the Ganga river may be controlled by suitable sediment management plan that comprises of various
measures.

43
 Key Issues and Solutions for Brahmaputra River
Flood and Erosion Control - Need for Paradigm Shift
In Association with
Floodkon Consultants LLP
Dr. Nayan Sharma
Former Professor IIT Roorkee
& Honorary Professor of River
ABSTRACT Science University of Nottingham,
UK

Key Issues
The chronic flood and erosion problems of the Brahmaputra basin have been gaining in severity and have now
assumed humongous proportion bordering on almost intractability. It is endeavoured here to discuss some of the
key issues and solutions which should be seriously deliberated and considered for necessary action to stem the rot.
Some Key Issues contributing to progressive watershed area degradation are enumerated below which
are causing -
v Reduced infiltration opportunity time.
v Reduced time of concentration.
v Increased overland runoff coefficient
v Consequent quicker flood rise.
v Rise in soil erosion & increased fluvial sediment load.
v Reduced channel conveyance & stream bed aggradation.
v Vicious cycle of bank erosion & braid intensification.
Similarly, the vulnerability and Unreliability of Palliative Flood Control Structures can be attributed to -
v Devastating embankment breaches every year.
v Absence of well-planned holistic flood control policy framework.
v Needs comprehensive scientific study as per state of the art.
v Absence of specialized R&D body manned by experts on whole time basis.
v Irregular perfunctory ad-hoc maintenance & repair of flood – erosion control structures.
v Present - day piece meal ad-hoc flood & erosion control approach warrants paradigm shift to well-planned
holistic framework with technology upgrade.
v Very poor coordination among concerned official agencies - Brahmaputra Board, CWC, NEEPCO, NHPC,
WRD & State Disaster Management Departments, Forest & Agriculture Departments etc. of NE Region.
v Rising concerns on hazards posed by earthquake induced landslides in upper Brahmaputra/YarlungTsangpo
in Eastern Tibet Region of China.

v Frequent incidence of downstream flood devastation due to sudden reservoir releases from hydropower dams
(without flood cushion) - Ranganadi, Diyung, Karbi Langpi, Kopili, Barapani, Kurichu (Bhutan).
APPROACH LEADING TO POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS
In the above context, it is logical to identify the potential prime solutions by making a paradigm shift in the solution
approach, and suggested methodology using state-of-the-art techniques is briefly highlighted below.

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 SEMINAR ON
RIVER ACTION PLAN, FLOOD MANAGEMENT
AND BASIN DEVELOPMENT

v LULCC analysis & hydrological modelling of watershed to analyse its hydrologic response on surface runoff,
soil loss / sediment supply, flood generation.
v Latest Multi-satellite Precipitation Estimates like GPM & hydraulic modelling to aid in flood forecasting.
v Using above to meticulously plan & implement Catchment Area Treatment (CAT) program to control soil
erosion contributing sediments to streams.
v Newer river training techniques Submerged Vanes / Bottom Panels, Jack Jetty, Trail Dykes, Fabric Form
Articulating Block Mattress, Block Ramps etc. may be adopted for cost-effective methods for flood & erosion
control.
v Flood moderation with well-designed multi-purpose flood detention reservoirs in major tributaries.
v Techno-economic sustainability of dredging operations (full scale / selective) be analysed prudently with well
configured mathematical model & LULCC output, field pilot studies.
v Refurbishing of hydropower dams- Ranganadi, Diyung, Kopili, KarbiLangpi, Barapani, Kurichu (Bhutan),
Subansiri (under construction) with new Piano Key Weir technique for invariably necessary flood cushion &
then recast the reservoir operation schedule, along with put in place flood dykes as required in river
downstream – such modifications will eliminate the existing occurrence of reservoir induced floods due to
absence of flood cushion space.
v Brahmaputra / Yarlung Tsangpo river transboundary issues need to be resolved with all riparian nations for –
Ÿ Benefit sharing approach of water resources.
Ÿ Hazards from periodic landslides induced lake formations in Yarlung Tsangpo and its tributaries in Eastern
Tibet region.
Ÿ Early warning system in Yarlung Tsangpo.
Ÿ Unstructured Block Ramp Clusters for moderation of devastating stream power in Siang/Dihang as
occurred in year 2002.

45
 SUSTAINABLE FLOOD PROTECTION STRATEGIES

Dr. Ashok K. Jain

Chief Advisor (Structure)
STUP Consultants Pvt. Ltd.,
ABSTRACT New Delhi

Floods have been occurring since the beginning of civilization. Its causes, impact and remedies are well
understood and time tested. Still floods have been occurring almost each year and in every part of the world. The so
called advanced countries, such as, Japan, America, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and other European countries are
as vulnerable as less advanced countries such as India, Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam. Climate change is one
of the major causes of flooding. Incidentally, the causes of climate change are also well understood. However, each
country has its own reasons and arguments (both political as well as economical) not to take necessary corrective
steps on an urgent basis.
Flooding in India occurs due to several reasons – such as excessive local rainfall and cloud burst, change in use
of food plains, deforestation, total disregard for land use and building bye laws, encroachment and construction in
unstable slopes. Drains and rivers are clogged by polythene. Near absence of local governing bodies at panchayat
and municipal levels in every village, town and city, as is evident by non-cleaning and maintenance of sewage and
storm water drains, and non segregation of trash, dumping of dust and garbage in drains etc. are other causes of
flooding. Some of the rivers are simply too gigantic and refuse to be tamed such as Ganga, Yamuna and
Brahmaputra along with their tributaries.
The objective of this paper is to highlight sustainable flood protection strategies. With the advent of
technology in the field of weather forecast, communication, numerical modeling and simulation, construction
technology, GIS and GPS, there is no reason as to why there should be unacceptable damage to agriculture land,
infrastructure, and loss of lives - both human and cattle. Floods cannot be prevented but the damage due to floods
can certainly be contained within acceptable limits.

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 SEMINAR ON
RIVER ACTION PLAN, FLOOD MANAGEMENT
AND BASIN DEVELOPMENT

CLIMATE CHANGE AND SUSTAINABILITY

Dr Sachidananda
Satapathy
Adviser(CC). UNDP, New Delhi
ABSTRACT
Climate change is the variation in the state of the climate, directly or indirectly due to human activities that alter
the composition of the atmosphere. It is caused mainly by global warming and results in the melting of the polar ice
caps, rising sea level and extreme weather conditions, among many other negative effects on agriculture, water,
infrastructure, health, energy etc. Climate change is a critical sustainability challenge. Sustainability is a concern for
development planners in developed and developing countries.
Global climate responses and actions at International, National and subnational level for reduction of Green
House gases and adaptation to reduce vulnerability and to attain sustainability and enhance resilience of all climate
sensitive sectors.

47
 THE RIVER ACTION PLANS IN INDIA –
EVOLVING APPROACH

Dr. R Dalwani
Former Adviser, Ministry of
Environment, Forest & Climate Change
ABSTRACT Government of India

Water is a crucial natural resource for the sustenance of life systems on this planet. Our river systems are life
lines of millions. Civilizations have grown all along the banks of rivers/lakes and it is irony that the same
civilization has polluted these water bodies to a near irreversible extent in some cases.
Making rivers pollution free is a mammoth task requiring the involvement of all the stakeholders ranging from
Central Government, State Government, Local Bodies, to general public, NGOs and users. Cleaning of pollution
is not a one time effort and the demands of river cleaning go on increasing with the increase in the population and
expansion of townships. The success of the scheme depends on continuous efforts to be made by all agencies.
Conservation of rivers and other water bodies is, therefore, an important Government priority. The
Government of India undertook a massive programme of cleaning of river Ganga, as a first step. The Ganga
Action Plan was launched in 1985 for abatement of pollution due to discharge of sewage as well as pollutants from
other point and non-point sources into the river, aiming at improvement in water quality of the river to the bathing
standards. The Plan in the year 1995, was made broad-based to tackle pollution levels in other identified polluted
stretches of major rivers and rechristened as the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP)
The river-cleaning programs for a long time focussed on the interception, diversion and treatment of domestic
sewage and its safe disposal either into a natural water body or its application on agricultural land for irrigation.
Besides this, a small component of bathing ghat improvement and installing crematoria on river front, was also
included. However, issues like environmental flow, catchment area treatment, micro and mini storage projects in
tributaries and main river and major floodplain issues impacting river quality & quantity such as development of
suitable vegetative cover along the river banks, appropriate ground water recharge, interventions for non-point
pollution mitigation, especially agricultural runoff, awareness campaign on adoption of organic farming &
efficient irrigation systems, implementation of low discharge model for industries to prevent extra drawl of surface
and/or ground water etc. were not addressed adequately.
Floodplains play an important role in sustaining the functions of a river and its biological diversity. Flooding
forces the exchange of materials and energy between the river and its floodplain thereby influencing the rivers in
many ways. The hydrological diversity generates and sustains high biodiversity in floodplains. Water infiltrates
through the soil to the groundwater or moves laterally to the stream. Sediments get trapped and accumulated in the
floodplain, causing topographic changes. Many terrestrial animals periodically utilise the floodplain resources and
some aquatic animals (waterfowl, turtle, crocodiles) depend upon the uplands for some stages of their life cycle.
Possibilities for and constraints of rehabilitation differ strongly according to the landscape setting or
floodplain of a particular river segment. Restoration of large rivers therefore, requires the development of an
integrated scientific approach between ecology, hydrology and river engineering.
A Consortium of 7 IITs have prepared a Basin Management Plan for restoration of river Ganga keeping in
view the interactive resource dynamics that governs the health of both the basin and the river system. In this
backdrop, the River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authority issued Order in October 2016,
that provides for the management and conservation of River Ganga in an ecologically sustainable manner, with
continuity of flow, incorporation of longitudinal, lateral and vertical dimensions, maintenance of integral
relationship between the surface flow and sub-surface water (ground water), maintenance of the lost natural
vegetation in catchment area, regeneration of the aquatic and riparian biodiversity and declaration of the bank of
River Ganga and its flood plain as 'Construction Free Zone' to allow for its natural ground water recharge functions.
In line with the limited success of other River Action Plans, the Government of India also proposes to revamp its
river conservation & rejuvenation strategy.

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 SEMINAR ON
RIVER ACTION PLAN, FLOOD MANAGEMENT
AND BASIN DEVELOPMENT

AN INTEGRATED APPROACH FOR ABATEMENT OF RIVER

WATER POLLUTION WITH A CASE STUDY ON NMCG

Dheeraj Kaushik
Sr General Manager and
Sector Head – Water,
Tata Consulting
Engineers Limited
ABSTRACT
River water pollution is an issue of global concern, as many countries are experiencing deteriorating river water
quality combined with growing demand. Pollution leads to economic water scarcity, as available water requires
purification and infrastructure investment, which burden developing countries.
Rivers have a special place in the lives of the Indians. They consider rivers to be sacred, take holy dip during
Amavasya (New moon), Pooranmasi (Full moon) and on other religious occasions. River water is used for irrigation
which in return gives food to the people. They also maintain the ecology of the region and bring prosperity. An area
without a river is considered to be poor. Unfortunately, during the past few decades the river water quality has
deteriorated at a rapid pace. One of the major reasons for this is the untreated wastewater being released to the
rivers, turning them to be a dirty drain. The Ganga and the Yamuna, the two most sacred rivers of our country are
no exception to it. Thousands of crores of rupees was pumped in the past to save the rivers through various plans
i.e Ganga Action Plan, Yamuna Action Plan and the efforts are continuing now through another initiative by Govt
of India called as Namai Gange Project.
A considerable further effort must be made at all stakeholder and institutional levels to make progress on
preventing pollution and restoring ecological balance. Such objectives require relevant national policies and
legislation, supported by comprehensive water quality monitoring and regulation enforcement. Because
agricultural and industrial—or point source—pollution instances are more visible than non-point source pollution,
actual pollution levels remain under reported, resulting in the lack of relevant remedies. Addressing water pollution
from an interdisciplinary perspective would yield more integrated solutions and provide a roadmap for
collaborative action.
River water pollution management requires the participation of all stakeholders—polluters, victims, water
managers and policymakers—under an Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) approach.

49
 BIO-REMEDIATION OF NATURAL WATER BODIES

Mr. Anil Pillai

Vice President
Technology Application and
ABSTRACT Business Development
Bioxgreen Technology Pvt.
Ltd. Chennai

The most obvious and biggest cause of the polluted condition of the lakes, Rivers and Open drains are the
release of untreated sewage, inadequately treated industrial effluents and sub optimally treated domestic sewage
into the Natural Water Bodies.
These come from different sources, in different magnitudes, and with different concentration and type of
pollutants.
A lot has been written and spoken about the biological waste water treatment. With the quality of waste water
having changed over the years, calls for a fresh approach towards biological waste water treatment systems to
address the problems of high organics and nitrogen in the natural water bodies, which is seldom addressed or
solved.
Bioxgreen Technology Pvt Ltd is an Indian Biotech Company involved in development of consortia of
bacteria solutions that remediate Domestic and Industrial waste water and organic fraction of solid waste all of
which contains different type of contaminants. We provide bespoke solutions which are specific to each
application. All of this is achieved at our R&D and manufacturing facility which is DSIR and Globally Certified,
ISO 9000, EU Audited facility at Hosur, TN.
During the course of this presentation, intervention of special microbial consortium having pure strains of
high potency bacteria that can survive, at the same time carry out the bio-chemical breakdown of the polluting
components in the waste water would be discussed.
This presentation aims to introduce the potential of Microbes (the most adaptive species on earth) in helping to
overcome the issues of high Organics and Nitrogen in their effluents. The focus would also cover a practical
approach to bioremediation of Natural water bodies.

50
 SEMINAR ON
RIVER ACTION PLAN, FLOOD MANAGEMENT
AND BASIN DEVELOPMENT

CONTRACTING STRATEGIES IN THE WATER

TREATMENT PLANT SEGMENT

Mr. Prarabdha
R. Jaipuriar
General Counsel - SUEZ India
ABSTRACT
About SUEZ
v SUEZ Worldwide
v SUEZ in India
Some Key Contractual Topics
v Liability Regime
w Exclusion of Consequential Damages
w Capping of LDs and overall liability
w LDs being exclusive remedy
w
Split Scope vs Integrated Scope
v Financial Topics
w Mobilisation Advance as a Condition for Commencement
w Exchange Rate Risk
w Clarity in Price provisions
w Non-payment or Delayed Payment Risk
v Legal Topics
w Standard Form of Contract vs Client's Own Conditions
w Termination Provision
w Change in Law Risk
w Adequate Force Majeure Provision
w Dispute Resolution: Ad hoc vs Institutional Arbitration
v Operational Topics
w Access to Site
w Unforeseen Site Conditions
w Planning and Permitting
w Reliability of Contract Data
w Sludge Management
w Adjustments in Time and Price
w Change in Scope

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 Storm water Monitoring and
Flood Alert Systems

• Time is critical when responding to a crisis.

• Real-time information on precipitation, water levels, and flow rates can not only reduce economic losses, it can save lives.
• Early warning systems such as email and text alerts can help guide decision-making and increase resilience during and after flooding events.

1. Telemetry Antenna 4. Data Logger 7. Flow Meter

2. Solar Panel 5. Automated Sampler 8. Water Quality Sonde
3. Rain Gage 6. Water level sensor

Website :www.xylem.com/india Email :Indiasales@Xyleminc.com

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