Environmental flows describe the quantity, timing, and quality of water flows required to sustain freshwater and estuarine ecosystems and the human livelihoods and well being that depend on these ecosystems.
In the Indian context river flows required for cultural and spiritual needs assumes significance.
Through implementation of environmental flows, water managers strive to achieve a flow regime, or pattern, that provides for human uses and maintains the essential processes required to support healthy river ecosystems.
The Union Jal Shakti Ministry launched an e-flow ecological monitoring system that allows real-time monitoring of river quality.
This will aid the planning and monitoring of projects, river water quality, and other key parameters
The Environmental flows (E-flows) monitoring system has been developed by the National Mission for Clean Ganga, an arm of the Jal Shakti Ministry
Along with real-time analysis of the water quality of the Ganga, Yamuna, and their tributaries, it also allows monitoring of the Namami Gange programme activities at the central level.
This includes monitoring the performance of sewage treatment plants (STPs), and ensuring that they operate at their rated capacity.
River water quality is also monitored at various locations.
The Namami Gange programme is a flagship programme of the Ministry that involved cleaning the Ganga, and now includes its tributaries.
The launch of the E-flow Monitoring System marks a significant step towards ensuring the continuous and sustainable flow of the Ganga.
Utilising data from quarterly reports by the Central Water Commission, the system will track key parameters such as inflow, outflow, and mandated E-flow across 11 projects along the Ganga Main Stream
Concerns were raised by several environmentalist groups that dams of the river were impeding its flow and destroying its ecology.
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