Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Paatil Reviews Namami Gange Mission Projects, Launches E-flow Monitoring System

New Delhi: Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Paatil reviewed the progress of the Namami Gange Mission projects today, shortly after assuming his new role. The review meeting, held in New Delhi, was also attended by Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Dr. Raj Bhushan Choudhary. They were warmly received by Secretary (Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation), Debashree Mukherjee, Director General (National Mission for Clean Ganga – NMCG), Rajeev Kumar Mital, and other senior officials.

During the review, Paatil launched the Environmental Flows (E-flows) Monitoring System, a significant component of the Aviral Ganga initiative under the Namami Gange Mission. Developed by the NMCG, this system is now part of the PRAYAG Portal, a comprehensive real-time monitoring centre designed for overseeing project planning, river water quality, and other critical parameters. The PRAYAG Portal includes various online dashboards such as the Ganga Tarang Portal, Project Management Tool Dashboard, and the Ganga Districts Performance Monitoring System.

Paatil highlighted that the E-flow Monitoring System facilitates real-time analysis of water quality for the Ganga, Yamuna, and their tributaries, while also monitoring Namami Gange programme activities at the central level. The system ensures the performance of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) through the Online Continuous Effluent Monitoring System (OCEMS), verifying that all STPs function at their rated capacities. Additionally, river water quality is monitored at various locations to maintain standards.

The launch of the E-flow Monitoring System is a significant stride towards ensuring the continuous and sustainable flow of the Ganga River. The system, utilizing data from quarterly reports by the Central Water Commission, tracks key parameters such as in-flow, out-flow, and mandated E-flows across 11 projects along the Ganga Main Stream.

Paatil underscored the importance of completing ongoing projects under the Namami Gange Mission within the stipulated time frames. He emphasized the necessity for innovative solutions to tackle emerging challenges and expressed a commitment to developing new strategies for regions currently lacking river rejuvenation programmes. The Minister also reviewed the progress of cleaning projects under the Namami Gange Programme, aiming to ensure the uninterrupted flow and cleanliness of the River Ganga.