Currency Symbol

The symbol of Indian Rupee typifies India's international identity for money transactions and economic strength. The Indian Rupee sign is an allegory of Indian ethos. The symbol is an amalgam of Devanagari "Ra" and the Roman Capital "R" with two parallel horizontal stripes running at the top representing the national flag and also the "equal to" sign. The Indian Rupee sign was adopted by the Government of India on 15th July, 2010.

The symbol, conceptualised and designed by Udaya Kumar, a post graduate in Design from Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, has been chosen from thousands of concept entries received by the Ministry of Finance through an open competition among resident Indian nationals. The process of establishing and implementing this new identity is underway through various digital technology and computer applications.

FLAG CODE OF INDIA

The Indian National Flag represents the hopes and aspirations of the people of India. It is the symbol of our national pride. Over the last five decades, several people including members of armed forces have ungrudgingly laid down their lives to keep the tricolour flying in its full glory. The significance of the colours and the chakra in the National Flag was amply described by Dr. S. Radhakrishnan in the Constituent Assembly which unanimously adopted the National Flag. Dr. S. Radhakrishnan explainedBhagwa or the saffron colour denotes renunciation of disinterestedness. Our leaders must be indifferent to material gains and dedicate themselves to their work. The white in the centre is light, the path of truth to guide our conduct. The green shows our relation to soil, our relation to the plant life here on which all other life depends. The Ashoka Wheel in the center of the white is the wheel of the law of dharma. Truth or satya, dharma or virtue ought to be the controlling principles of those who work under this flag. Again, the wheel denotes motion. There is death in stagnation. There is life in movement. India should no more resist change, it must move and go forward. The wheel represents the dynamism of a peaceful change. There is universal affection and respect for, and loyalty to, the National Flag. Yet, a perceptible lack of awareness is often noticed, not only amongst people but also in the organisations/agencies of the government, in regard to laws, practices and conventions that apply to the display of the National Flag. Apart from non-statutory instructions issued by the Government from time to time, display of the National Flag is governed by the provisions of the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950 (No.12 of 1950) and the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 (No. 69 of 1971). Flag Code of India, 2002 is an attempt to bring together all such laws, conventions, practices and instructions for the guidance and benefit of all concerned. For the sake of convenience, Flag Code of India, 2002, has been divided into three parts. Part I of the Code contains general description of the National Flag. Part II of the Code is devoted to the display of the National Flag by members of public, private organizations, educational institutions, etc. Part III of the Code relates to display of the National Flag by Central and State governments and their organisations and agencies. Flag Code of India, 2002, takes effect from January 26, 2002 and supersedes the Flag Code India as it existed. . PART I GENERAL 1.1 The National Flag shall be a tri-colour panel made up of three rectangular panels or sub-

panels of equal widths. The colour of the top panel shall be India saffron (Kesari) and that of the bottom panel shall be India green. The middle panel shall be white, bearing at its centre the design of Ashoka Chakra in navy blue colour with 24 equally spaced spokes. The Ashoka Chakra shall preferably be screen printed or otherwise printed or stenciled or suitably embroidered and shall be completely visible on both sides of the Flag in the centre of the white panel. 1.2 The National Flag of India shall be made of hand spun and hand woven wool/cotton/silk khadi bunting. 1.3 The National Flag shall be rectangular in shape. The ratio of the length to the height (width)

of the Flag shall be 3:2. 1.4 The standard sizes of the National Flag shall be as follows:Flag Size No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Dimensions in mm 6300 X 4200 3600 X 2400 2700 X 1800 1800 X 1200 1350 X 900 900 450 225 150 X X X X 600 300 150 100

1.5 An appropriate size should be chosen for display. The flags of 450X300 mm size are intended for aircrafts on VVIP flights, 225X150 mm size for motor-cars and 150X100 mm size for table flags. PART II HOISTING/DISPLAY/USE OF NATIONAL FLAG BY MEMBERS OF PUBLIC, PRIVATE ORGANISATIONS, EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, ETC.

SECTION I

2.1

There shall be no restriction on the display of the National Flag by members of

general public, private organizations, educational institutions, etc., except to the extent provided in the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950* and

*The Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950. Section 2: In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires:(a) emblem means any emblem, seal, flag, insignia, coat-of-arms or pictorial representation specified in the Schedule. Section 3: Notwithstanding anything contained in any law for the time being in force, no person shall, except in such cases and under such conditions as may be prescribed by the Central Government, use, or continue to use, for the purpose of any trade, business, calling or profession, or in the title of any patent, or in any trade mark of design, any name or emblem specified in the Schedule or any colourable imitation thereof without the previous permission of the Central Government or of such officer of Government as may be authorised in this behalf by the Central Government. The Indian National Flag has been specified as an emblem in the Schedule to the Act.

NOTE:

the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971** and any other law enacted on the subject. Keeping in view the provisions of the aforementioned Acts (i) the Flag shall not be used for commercial purposes in violation of the Emblem and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950; the Flag shall not be dipped in salute to any person or thing;

(ii)

**THE PREVENTION OF INSULTS TO NATIONAL HONOUR ACT, 1971

(Amended by the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Act, 2003) Whoever in any public place or in any other place within public view burns, mutilates, defaces, defiles, disfigures, destroys, tramples upon or otherwise shows disrespect to or brings into contempt (whether by words, either spoken or written, or by acts) the Indian National Flag. or any part thereof, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both. Explanation 1. Comments expressing disapprobation or criticism of the Indian National Flag or an alteration of the Indian National Flag by lawful means do not constitute an offence under this section. Explanation 2. The expression, "Indian National Flag" includes any picture, painting, drawing or photograph, or other visible representation of the Indian National Flag, or of any part or parts thereof, made of any substance or represented on any substance. Explanation 3. The expression "Public place" means any place intended for use by, or accessible to, the public and includes any public conveyance. Explanation 4. The disrespect to the Indian National Flag means and includes(a) a gross affront or indignity offered to the Indian National Flag; or (b) dipping the Indian National Flag in salute to any person or thing; or (c) flying the Indian National Flag at half-mast except on occasions on which the Flag is flown at half-mast on public buildings in accordance with the instructions issued by the Government; or (d) using the Indian National Flag as a drapery in any form whatsoever except in state funerals or armed forces or other para-military forces funerals; or (e) using the Indian National Flag as a portion of costume or uniform of any description or embroidering or printing it on cushions, handkerchiefs, napkins or any dress material; or (f) putting any kind of inscription upon the Indian National Flag; or (g) using the Indian National Flag as a receptacle for receiving, delivering or carrying anything except flower petals before the Indian National Flag is unfurled as part of celebrations on special occasions including the Republic Day or the Independences Day; or

(h) using the Indian National Flag as covering for a statue or a monument or a speaker's desk or a speaker's platform; or (i) allowing the Indian National Flag to touch the ground or the floor or trail in water intentionally; or (j) draping the Indian National Flag over the hood, top, and sides or back or on a vehicle, train, boat or an aircraft or any other similar object; or (k) using the Indian National Flag as a covering for a building; or (l) intentionally displaying the Indian National Flag with the "saffron" down. 3A. MINIMUM PENALTY ON SECOND OR SUBSEQUENT OFFENCE Whoever having already been convicted of an offence under section 2. is again convicted of any such offence shall be punishable for the second and for every subsequent offence, with imprisonment for a term, which shall not be less than one year.

(iii)

the Flag shall not be flown at half-mast except on occasions on which the Flag is flown at half-mast on public buildings in accordance with the instructions issued by the Government; the Flag shall not be used as a drapery in any form whatsoever, including private funerals; the Flag shall not be used as a portion of costume or uniform of any description nor shall it be embroidered or printed upon cushions, handkerchiefs, napkins or any dress material;

(iv)

(v)

(vi) (vii)

lettering of any kind shall not be put upon the Flag; the Flag shall not be used as a receptacle for receiving, delivering, holding or carrying anything; provided that there shall be no objection to keeping flower petals inside the Flag before it is unfurled as part of celebrations on special occasions and on National Days like the Republic Day and the Independence Day;

(viii)

when used on occasions like unveiling of a statue, the Flag shall be displayed distinctly and separately and it shall not be used as a covering for the statue or monument;

(ix)

the Flag shall not be used to cover a speakers desk nor shall it be draped over a

speakers platform; (x) the Flag shall not be intentionally allowed to touch the ground or the floor or trail in water; (xi) the Flag shall not be draped over the hood, top, sides or back of a vehicle, train, boat or an aircraft; the Flag shall not be used as a covering for a building; and the Flag shall not be intentionally displayed with the saffron down. A member of public, a private organization or an educational institution may

(xii) (xiii) 2.2

hoist/display the National Flag on all days and occasions, ceremonial or otherwise. Consistent with the dignity and honour of the National Flag (i) whenever the National Flag is displayed, it should occupy the position of honour and should be distinctly placed; (ii) (iii) a damaged or dishevelled Flag should not be displayed; the Flag should not be flown from a single masthead simultaneously with any other flag or flags; the Flag should not be flown on any vehicle except in accordance with the provisions contained in Section IX of Part III of this Code; when the Flag is displayed on a speakers platform, it should be flown on the speakers right as he faces the audience or flat against the wall, above and behind the speaker; when the Flag is displayed flat and horizontal on a wall, the saffron band should be upper most and when displayed vertically, the saffron band shall be on the right with reference to the Flag (i.e. left to the person facing the Flag); to the extent possible, the Flag should conform to the specifications prescribed in Part I of this Code. (viii) no other flag or bunting should be placed higher than or above or side by side with the National Flag; nor should any object including flowers or garlands or emblem be placed on or above the Flag-mast from which the Flag is flown;

(iv)

(v)

(vi)

(vii)

(ix)

the Flag should not be used as a festoon, rosette or bunting or in any other manner for decoration;

(x)

the Flag made of paper may be waved by public on occasions of important national, cultural and sports events. However, such paper Flags should not be discarded or thrown on the ground after the event. As far as possible, it should be disposed of in private consistent with the dignity of the Flag;

(xi)

where the Flag is displayed in open, it should, as far as possible, be flown from sunrise to sunset, irrespective of weather conditions; the Flag should not be displayed or fastened in any manner as may damage it; and when the Flag is in a damaged or soiled condition, it shall be destroyed as a whole in private, preferably by burning or by any other method consistent with the dignity of the Flag.

(xii) (xiii)

SECTION II 2.3 The National Flag may be hoisted in educational institutions (schools, colleges, sports camps, scout camps, etc.) to inspire respect for the Flag. A model set of instructions for guidance is given below (i) The School will assemble in open square formation with pupils forming the three sides and the Flag-staff at the centre of the fourth side. The Headmaster, the pupil leader and the person unfurling the Flag (if other than the Headmaster) will stand three paces behind the Flag-staff. The pupils will fall according to classes and in squads of ten (or other number according to strength). These squads will be arranged one behind the other. The pupil leader of the class will stand to the right of the first row of his class and the form master will stand three paces behind the last row of his class, towards the middle. The classes will be arranged along the square in the order of seniority with the seniormost class at the right end. The distance between each row should be at least one pace (30 inches); and the space between Form and Form should be the same.

(ii)

(iii)

(iv)

When each Form or Class is ready, the Class leader will step forward and salute the selected school pupil leader. As soon as all the Forms are ready, the school pupil leader will step up to the Headmaster and salute him. The Headmaster will return the salute. Then, the Flag will be unfurled. The School pupil leader may assist.

(v)

The School pupil leader in charge of the parade (or assembly) will call the parade to attention, just before the unfurling, and he will call them to the salute when the Flag flies out. The parade will keep at the salute for a brief interval, and then on the command order, the parade will come to the attention position.

(vi)

The Flag Salutation will be followed by the National Anthem. The parade will be kept at the attention during this part of the function. On all occasions when the pledge is taken, the pledge will follow the National Anthem. When taking the pledge the Assembly will stand to attention and the Headmaster will administer the pledge ceremoniously and the Assembly will repeat it after him.

(vii)

(viii)

In pledging allegiance to the National Flag, the practice to be adopted in Schools is as follows:Standing with folded hands, all repeat together the following pledge: I pledge allegiance to the National Flag and to the Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic for which it stands.

PART. III HOISTING/DISPLAY OF THE NATIONAL FLAG BY THE CENTRAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS AND THEIR ORGANISATIONS AND AGENCIES. SECTION I DEFENCE INSTALLATIONS/HEADS OF MISSIONS/POSTS 3.1 The provisions of this Part shall not apply to Defence Installations that have their own rule for display of the National Flag. 3.2 The National Flag may also be flown on the Headquarters and the residences of the Heads of Missions/Posts abroad in the countries where it is customary for diplomatic and

consular representatives to fly their National Flags on the Headquarters and their official residences. SECTION II OFFICIAL DISPLAY 3.3 Subject to the provisions contained in Section I above, it shall be mandatory for all

Governments and their organisations/agencies to follow the provisions contained in this Part. 3.4 On all occasions for official display, only the Flag conforming to specifications laid down by the Bureau of Indian Standards and bearing their standard mark shall be used. On other occasions also, it is desirable that only such Flags of appropriate size are flown.

SECTION III CORRECT DISPLAY 3.5 placed. 3.6 Where the practice is to fly the Flag on any public building, it shall be flown on that building on all days including Sundays and holidays and, except as provided in this Code, it shall be flown from sun-rise to sun-set irrespective of weather conditions. The Flag may be flown on such a building at night also but this should be only on very special occasions. 3.7 The Flag shall always be hoisted briskly and lowered slowly and ceremoniously. When the hoisting and the lowering of the Flag is accompanied by appropriate bugle calls, the hoisting and lowering should be simultaneous with the bugle calls. 3.8 When the Flag is displayed from a staff projecting horizontally or at an angle from a windowsill, balcony, or front of a building, the saffron band shall be at the farther end of the staff. 3.9 When the Flag is displayed flat and horizontal on a wall, the saffron band shall be upper most and when displayed vertically, the saffron band shall be to the right with reference to the Flag, i.e., it may be to the left of a person facing it. 3.10 When the Flag is displayed on a speakers platform, it shall be flown on a staff on the speakers right as he faces the audience or flat against the wall above and behind the speaker. Wherever the Flag is flown, it should occupy the position of honour and be distinctly

3.11

When used on occasions like the unveiling of a statue, the Flag shall be displayed

distinctly and separately.

3.12

When the Flag is displayed alone on a motor car, it shall be flown from a staff, which

should be affixed firmly either on the middle front of the bonnet or to the front right side of the car. 3.13 When the Flag is carried in a procession or a parade, it shall be either on the marching

right, i.e. the Flags own right, or if there is a line of other flags, in front of the centre of the line. SECTION IV INCORRECT DISPLAY 3.14 3.15 3.16 A damaged or disheveled Flag shall not be displayed. The Flag shall not be dipped in salute to any person or thing. No other flag or bunting shall be placed higher than or above or, except as hereinafter provided, side by side with the National Flag; nor shall any object including flowers or garlands or emblem be placed on or above the Flag-mast from which the Flag is flown. 3.17 The Flag shall not be used as a festoon, rosette or bunting or in any other manner for decoration. The Flag shall not be used to cover a speakers desk nor shall it be draped over a speakers platform. The Flag shall not be displayed with the saffron down. The Flag shall not be allowed to touch the ground or the floor or trail in water. The Flag shall not be displayed or fastened in any manner as may damage it.

3.18

3.19 3.20 3.21

SECTION V

MISUSE 3.22 The Flag shall not be used as a drapery in any form whatsoever except in State/Military/Central Para military Forces funerals hereinafter provided. 3.23 The Flag shall not be draped over the hood, top, sides or back of a vehicle, train or boat. The Flag shall not be used or stored in such a manner as may damage or soil it. When the Flag is in a damaged or soiled condition, it shall not be cast aside or disrespectfully disposed of but shall be destroyed as a whole in private, preferably by burning or by any other method consistent with the dignity of the Flag. 3.26 3.27 The Flag shall not be used as a covering for a building. The Flag shall not be used as a portion of a costume or uniform of any description. It shall not be embroidered or printed upon cushions, handkerchiefs, napkins or boxes. Lettering of any kind shall not be put upon the Flag. The Flag shall not be used in any form of advertisement nor shall an advertising sign be fastened to the pole from which the Flag is flown. 3.30 The Flag shall not be used as a receptacle for receiving, delivering, holding or carrying anything. Provided that there shall be no objection to keeping flower petals inside the Flag before it is unfurled, as part of celebrations on special occasions and on National Days like the Republic Day and the Independence Day.

3.24 3.25

3.28 3.29

SECTION VI SALUTE 3.31 During the ceremony of hoisting or lowering the Flag or when the Flag is passing in a parade or in a review, all persons present should face the Flag and stand at attention. Those present in uniform should render the appropriate salute. When the Flag is in a moving column, persons present will stand at attention or salute as the Flag passes them. A dignitary may take the salute without a head dress.

SECTION VII DISPLAY WITH FLAGS OF OTHER NATIONS AND OF UNITED NATIONS 3.32 When displayed in a straight line with flags of other countries, the National Flag shall be on the extreme right; i.e. if an observer were to stand in the center of the row of the flags facing the audience, the National Flag should be to his extreme right. The position is illustrated in the diagram below:-

3.33

Flags of foreign countries shall proceed as from the National Flag in alphabetical order on the basis of English versions of the names of the countries concerned. It would be permissible in such a case to begin and also to end the row of flags with the National Flag and also to include National Flag in the normal countrywise alphabetical order. The National Flag shall be hoisted first and lowered last.

3.34

In case flags are to be flown in an open circle i.e., in an arc or a semi-circle, the same procedure shall be adopted as is indicated in the preceding clause of this Section. In case flags are to be flown in a closed, i.e., complete circle, the National Flag shall mark the beginning of the circle and the flags of other countries should proceed in a clockwise manner until the last flag is placed next to the National Flag. It is not necessary to use separate National Flags to mark the beginning and the end of the circle of flags. The National Flag shall also be included in its alphabetical order in such a closed circle. When the National Flag is displayed against a wall with another flag from crossed staffs, the National Flag shall be on the right i.e. the Flags own right, and its staff shall be in front of the staff of the other flag. The position is illustrated in the diagram below:-

3.35

3.36

When the United Nations Flag is flown along with the National Flag, it can be displayed on either side of the National Flag. The general practice is to fly the National Flag on the extreme right with reference to the direction which it is facing (i.e. extreme left of an observer facing the masts flying the Flags). The position is illustrated in the diagram below:-

3.37

When the National Flag is flown with flags of other countries, the flag masts shall be of equal size. International usage forbids the display of the flag of one nation above that of another nation in time of peace. The National Flag shall not be flown from a single mast-head simultaneously with any other flag or flags. There shall be separate mast-heads for different flags.

3.38

SECTION VIII

DISPLAY OVER PUBLIC BUILDINGS / OFFICIAL RESIDENCES 3.39 Normally the National Flag should be flown only on important public buildings such as High Courts, Secretariats, Commissioners Offices, Collectorates, Jails and offices of the District Boards, Municipalities and Zilla Parishads and Departmental/Public Sector Undertakings. 3.40 In frontier areas, the National Flag may be flown on the border customs posts, check posts, out posts and at other special places where flying of the Flag has special significance. In addition, it may be flown on the camp sites of border patrols. 3.41 The National Flag should be flown on the official residences of the President, VicePresident, Governors and Lieutenant Governors when they are at Headquarters and on the building in which they stay during their visits to places outside the Headquarters. The Flag flown on the official residence should, however, be brought down as soon as the dignitary leaves the Headquarters and it should be re-hoisted on that building as he enters the main gate of the building on return to the Headquarters. When the dignitary is on a visit to a place outside the Headquarters, the Flag should be hoisted on the building in which he stays as he enters the main gate of that building and it should be brought down as soon as he leaves that place. However, the Flag should be flown from sun-rise to sun-set on such official residences, irrespective of whether the dignitary is at Headquarters or not on the - Republic Day, Independence Day, Mahatama Gandhis Birthday, National Week (6th to 13th April, in the memory of martyrs of Jalianwala Bagh), any other particular day of national rejoicing as may be specified by the Government of India or, in the case of a State, on the anniversary of formation of that State. 3.42 When the President, the Vice-President or the Prime Minister visits an institution, the National Flag may be flown by the institution as a mark of respect. On the occasions of the visit to India by foreign dignitaries, namely, President, VicePresident, Emperor / King or Heir Prince and the Prime Minister, the National Flag may be flown along with the Flag of the foreign country concerned in accordance with the rules contained in Section VII by such private institutions as are according reception to the visiting foreign dignitaries and on such public buildings as the foreign dignitaries intend to visit on the day of visit to the institution.

3.43

SECTION IX DISPLAY ON MOTOR CARS

3.44 (1) (2) (3) (4) (5)

The privilege of flying the National Flag on motor cars is limited to the:President; Vice-President; Governors and Lieutenant Governors; Heads of Indian Missions/Posts abroad in the countries to which they are accredited; Prime Minister and other Cabinet Ministers; Ministers of State and Deputy Ministers of the Union; Chief Minister and other Cabinet Ministers of a State or Union Territory;

(6)

Ministers of State and Deputy Ministers of a State or Union Territory; Speaker of the Lok Sabha; Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha; Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha; Chairmen of Legislative Councils in States Speakers of Legislative Assemblies in States and Union territories. Deputy Chairmen of Legislative Councils in States; Deputy Speakers of Legislative Assemblies in States and Union territories;

(7)

Chief Justice of India; Judges of Supreme Court; Chief Justice of High Courts; Judges of High Courts. The dignitaries mentioned in Clauses (5 ) to (7) of paragraph 3.44 may fly the National Flag on their cars, whenever they consider it necessary or advisable. When a foreign dignitary travels in a car provided by Government, the National Flag will be flown on the right side of the car and the Flag of the foreign countries will be flown on the left side of the car. SECTION X DISPLAY ON TRAINS / AIRCRAFTS

3.45

3.46

3.47

When the President travels by special train within the country, the National Flag should be flown from the drivers cab on the side facing the platform of the station from where the train departs. The Flag should be flown only when the special train is stationary or when coming into the station where it is going to halt. The National Flag will be flown on the aircraft carrying the President, the Vice-

3.48

President or the Prime Minister on a visit to a foreign country. Alongside the National Flag, the Flag of the country visited should also be flown but, when the aircraft lands in countries enroute, the National Flags of the countries touched would be flown instead, as a gesture of courtesy and goodwill. 3.49 When the President goes on tour within India, the National Flag will be displayed on the side by which the President will embark the aircraft or disembark from it. SECTION XI HALF-MASTING 3.50 In the event of the death of the following dignitaries, the National Flag shall be halfmasted at the places indicated against each on the day of the death of the dignitary:Place or places

Dignitary President Vice-President Prime Minister

Throughout India

Speaker of the Lok Sabha Chief Justice of India Union Cabinet Minister

Delhi

Delhi and State Capitals Delhi

Minister of State or Deputy Minister of the Union

Governor Lt. Governor Chief Minister of a State Chief Minister of a Union territory Cabinet Minister in a State

Throughout the State or Union territory concerned. Capital of the State concerned.

3.51

If the intimation of the death of any dignitary is received in the afternoon, the Flag shall be half-masted on the following day also at the place or places indicated above, provided the funeral has not taken place before sun-rise on that day.

3.52

On the day of the funeral of a dignitary mentioned above, the Flag shall be half-masted at the place where the funeral takes place.

3.53

If State mourning is to be observed on the death of any dignitary, the Flag shall be half-masted throughout the period of the mourning throughout India in the case of the Union dignitaries and throughout the State or Union territory concerned in the case of a State or Union territory dignitary.

3.54

Half-masting of the Flag and, where necessary, observance of State mourning on the death of foreign dignitaries will be governed by special instructions which will issue from the Ministry of Home Affairs in individual cases.

3.55

Notwithstanding the above provisions, in the event of a half-mast day coinciding with the Republic Day, Independence Day, Mahatama Gandhis Birthday, National Week (6th to 13th April, in the memory of martyrs of Jalianwala Bagh), any other particular day of national rejoicing as may be specified by the Government of India or, in the case of a State, on the anniversary of formation of that State, the Flags shall not be flown at half-mast except over the building where the body of the deceased is lying until such time it has been removed and that Flag shall be raised to the full-mast position after the body has been removed.

3.56

3.57

If mourning were to be observed in a parade or procession where a Flag is carried, two streamers of black crepe shall be attached to the spear head, allowing the streamers to fall naturally. The use of black crepe in such a manner shall be only by an order of the Government. When flown at half-mast, the Flag shall be hoisted to the peak for an instant, then lowered to the half-mast position, but before lowering the Flag for the day, it shall be raised again to the peak.

Note:-

By half-mast is meant hauling down the Flag to one half the distance between the top and the guy-line and in the absence of the guy-line, half of the staff. On occasions of State/Military/Central Para-Military Forces funerals, the Flag shall be draped over the bier or coffin with the saffron towards the head of the bier or coffin. The Flag shall not be lowered into the grave or burnt in the pyre.

3.58

3.59

In the event of death of either the Head of the State or Head of the Government of a foreign country, the Indian Mission accredited to that country may fly the National Flag at half-mast even if that event falls on Republic Day, Independence Day, Mahatama Gandhis Birthday, National Week (6th to 13th April, in the memory of martyrs of Jalianwala Bagh) or any other particular day of national rejoicing as may be specified by the Government of India. In the event of death of any other dignitary of that country, the National Flag should not be flown at half-mast by the Missions except

when the local practice or protocol (which should be ascertained from the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, where necessary) require that the National Flag of a Foreign Mission in that country should also be flown at half-mast.

History of Indian Tricolor

"A flag is a necessity for all nations. Millions have died for it. It is no doubt a kind of idolatry which would be a sin to destroy. For, a flag represents an Ideal The unfurling of the Union Jack evokes in the English breast sentiments whose strength it is difficult to measure. The Stars and Stripes mean a world to the Americans. The Star and the Crescent will call forth the best bravery in Islam." "It will be necessary for us Indians Muslims, Christians Jews, Parsis, and all others to whom India is their home-to recognize a common flag to live and to die for." - Mahatma Gandhi

Every free nation of the world has its own flag. It is a symbol of a free country. The National Flag of India was designed by Pingali Venkayyaand and adopted in its present form during the meeting of Constituent Assembly held on the 22 July 1947, a few days before India's independence from the British on 15 August, 1947. It served as the national flag of the Dominion of India between 15 August 1947 and 26 January 1950 and that of the Republic of India thereafter. In India, the term "tricolour" refers to the Indian national flag.

The National flag of India is a horizontal tricolor of deep saffron (kesari) at the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom in equal proportion. The ratio of width of the flag to its length is two to three. In the centre of the white band is a navy blue wheel which represents the chakra. Its design is that of the wheel which appears on the abacus of the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka. Its diameter approximates to the width of the white band and it has 24 spokes.

Evolution of the Tricolour

It is really amazing to see the various changes that our National Flag went through since its first inception. It was discovered or recognised during our national struggle for freedom. The evolution of the Indian National Flag sailed through many vicissitudes to arrive at what it is today. In one way it reflects the political developments in the nation. Some of the historical milestones in the evolution of our National Flag involve the following:

Unofficial flag of India in 1906

The Berlin committee flag, first raised by Bhikaiji Cama in 1907

The flag used during the Home Rule movement in 1917

The flag unofficially adopted in 1921

The flag adopted in 1931. This flag was also the battle ensign of the Indian National Army

The present Tricolour flag of India

The first national flag in India is said to have been hoisted on August 7, 1906, in the Parsee Bagan Square (Green Park) in Calcutta now Kolkata. The flag was composed of three horizontal strips of red, yellow and green.

The second flag was hoisted in Paris by Madame Cama and her band of exiled revolutionaries in 1907 (according to some inl9OS). This was very similar to the first flag except that the top strip had only one lotus but seven stars denoting the Saptarishi. This flag was also exhibited at a socialist conference in Berlin.

The third flag went up in 1917 when our political struggle had taken a definite turn. Dr. Annie Besant and Lokmanya Tilak hoisted it during the Home rule movement. This flag had five red and four green horizontal strips arranged alternately, with seven stars in the saptarishi configuration super-imposed on them. In the left-hand top corner (the pole end) was the Union Jack. There was also a white crescent and star in one corner.

During the session of the All India Congress Committee which met at Bezwada in 1921 (now Vijayawada) an Andhra youth prepared a flag and took it to Gandhiji. It was made up of two colours-red and green-representing the two major communities i.e. Hindus and Muslims. Gandhiji suggested the addition of a white strip to represent the remaining communities of India and the spinning wheel to symbolise progress of the Nation.

The year 1931 was a landmark in the history of the flag. A resolution was passed adopting a tricolor flag as our national flag. This flag, the forbear of the present one, was saffron, white and green with Mahatma Gandhi's spinning wheel at the center. It was, however, clearly stated that it bore no communal significance and was to be interpreted thus.

On July 22, 1947, the Constituent Assembly adopted it as Free India National Flag. After the advent of Independence, the colours and their significance remained the same. Only the Dharma Charkha of Emperor Asoka was adopted in place of the spinning wheel as the emblem on the flag. Thus, the tricolour flag of the Congress Party eventually became the tricolour flag of Independent India.

Colours of the Flag:

In the national flag of India the top band is of Saffron colour, indicating the strength and courage of the country. The white middle band indicates peace and truth with Dharma Chakra. The last band is green in colour shows the fertility, growth and auspiciousness of the land.

The Chakra:
This Dharma Chakra depicted the "wheel of the law" in the Sarnath Lion Capital made by the 3rd-century BC Mauryan Emperor Ashoka. The chakra intends to show that there is life in movement and death in stagnation.

Flag Code
On 26th January 2002, the Indian flag code was modified and after several years of independence, the citizens of India were finally allowed to hoist the Indian flag over their homes, offices and factories on any day and not just National days as was the case earlier. Now Indians can proudly display the national flag any where and any time, as long as the provisions of the Flag Code are strictly followed to avoid any disrespect to the tricolour. For the sake of convenience, Flag Code of India, 2002, has been divided into three parts. Part I of the Code contains general description of the National Flag. Part II of the Code is devoted to the display of the National Flag by members of public, private organizations, educational institutions, etc. Part III of the Code relates to display of the National Flag by Central and State governments and their organisations and agencies.

There are some rules and regulations upon how to fly the flag, based on the 26 January 2002 legislation. These include the following:

The Do's:

The National Flag may be hoisted in educational institutions (schools, colleges, sports camps, scout camps, etc.) to inspire respect for the Flag. An oath of allegiance has been included in the flag hoisting in schools. A member of public, a private organization or an educational institution may hoist/display the National Flag on all days and occasions, ceremonial or otherwise consistent with the dignity and honour of the National Flag. Section 2 of the new code accepts the right of all private citizens to fly the flag on their premises.

The Don'ts

The flag cannot be used for communal gains, drapery, or clothes. As far as possible, it should be flown from sunrise to sunset, irrespective of the weather. The flag cannot be intentionally allowed to touch the ground or the floor or trail in water. It cannot be draped over the hood, top, and sides or back of vehicles, trains, boats or aircraft. No other flag or bunting can be placed higher than the flag. Also, no object, including flowers or garlands or emblems can be placed on or above the flag. The tricolour cannot be used as a festoon, rosette or bunting.

More information on Flag Code of India (PDF file that opens in a new window)

The Indian National Flag represents the hopes and aspirations of the people of India. It is the symbol of our national pride. Over the last five decades, several people including members of armed forces have ungrudgingly laid down their lives to keep the tricolour flying in its full glory.

Also see:

Journey of Indian Republic Republic Day Celebrations Video on Demand of Republic Day Parade(External website that opens in a new window) My India My Pride

National Anthem
The National Anthem of India is played or sung on various occasions. Instructions have been issued from time to time about the correct versions of the Anthem, the occasions on which these are to be played or sung, and about the need for paying respect to the anthem by observance of proper decorum on such occasions. The substance of these instructions has been embodied in this information sheet for general information and guidance.

The National Anthem - Full & Short Versions

The composition consisting of the words and music of the first stanza of the late poet Rabindra Nath Tagore's song known as " Jana Gana Mana" is the National Anthem of India. It reads as follows:

Jana-gana-mana-adhinayaka, jaya he Bharata-bhagya-vidhata. Punjab-Sindh-Gujarat-Maratha Dravida-Utkala-Banga Vindhya-Himachala-Yamuna-Ganga Uchchala-Jaladhi-taranga. Tava shubha name jage, Tava shubha asisa mage, Gahe tava jaya gatha, Jana-gana-mangala-dayaka jaya he Bharata-bhagya-vidhata. Jaya he, jaya he, jaya he, Jaya jaya jaya, jaya he! Download National Anthem (817 KB, 0:52 Sec.)

The above is the full version of the Anthem and its playing time is approximately 52 seconds.

A short version consisting of the first and last lines of the National Anthem is also played on certain occasions. It reads as follows:

Jana-gana-mana-adhinayaka, jaya he Bharata-bhagya-vidhata. Jaya he, jaya he, jaya he, Jaya jaya jaya, jaya he!

Playing time of the short version is about 20 seconds. The following is Tagore's English rendering of the anthem:

Thou art the ruler of the minds of all people, Dispenser of India's destiny. Thy name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sind, Gujarat and Maratha, Of the Dravida and Odisha and Bengal; It echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas, mingles in the music of Jamuna and Ganges and is chanted by the waves of the Indian Sea. They pray for thy blessings and sing thy praise. The saving of all people waits in thy hand, Thou dispenser of India's destiny. Victory, victory, victory to thee.

The occasions on which the full versions or the short version will be played have been indicated at the appropriate places in these instructions.

Playing of the Anthem

1. The full version of the Anthem shall be played on the following occasions: i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi. vii. Civil and Military investitures; When National Salute (which means the Command "Rashtriya Salute Salami Shastr" to the accompaniment of the National Anthem is given on ceremonial occasions to the President or to the Governor/Lieutenant Governor within their respective States/Union Territories; During parades irrespective of whether any of the dignitaries referred to in (ii) above is present or not; On arrival of the President at formal State functions and other functions organized by the Government and mass functions and on his departure from such functions; Immediately before and after the President addresses the Nation over All India Radio; On arrival of the Governor/Lieutenant Governor at formal State functions within his State/Union Territory and on his departure from such functions; When the National Flag is brought on parade;

viii. ix.

When the Regimental Colours are presented; For hoisting of colours in the Navy.

The short version of the Anthem shall be played when drinking toasts in Messes. The Anthem shall be played on any other occasion for which special orders have been issued by the Government of India. Normally the Anthem shall not be played for the Prime Minister, though there may be special occasions when it may be played. When the National Anthem is played by a band, the Anthem will be preceded by a roll of drums to assist the audience to know that the National Anthem is going to be played, unless there is some other specific indication that the National Anthem is about to be played, as for example, when fanfares are sounded before the National Anthem is played, or when toasts are drunk to the accompaniment of the National Anthem or when the National Anthem constitutes the National Salute given by a Guard of Honour. The duration of the roll, in terms of marching drill, will be 7 paces in slow march. The roll will start slowly, ascend to as loud a volume as possible and then gradually decreases to original softness, but remaining audible until the seventh beat. One beat rest will then be observed before commencing the National Anthem.

Mass Singing of the Anthem

1. The full version of the Anthem shall be played accompanied by mass singing on the following occasions: i. On the unfurling of the National Flag, on cultural occasions or ceremonial functions other than parades. (This could be arranged by having a choir or adequate size, suitably stationed, which would be trained to coordinate its singing with the band etc. There should be an adequate public audition system so that the gathering in various enclosures can sing in unison with the choir); On arrival of the President at any Government or Public function (but excluding formal State functions and mess functions) and also immediately before his departure from such functions.

ii.

On all occasions when the National Anthem is sung, the full version shall be recited accompanied by mass singing. The Anthem may be sung on occasions which, although not strictly ceremonial, are nevertheless invested with significance because of the presence of Ministers etc. The singing of the Anthem on such occasions (with or without the accompaniment of an instruments) accompanied by mass singing is desirable. It is not possible to give an exhaustive list of occasions on which the singing (as distinct from playing) of the Anthem can be permitted. But there is no objection to the singing of the Anthem accompanied by mass singing so long as it is done with due respect as a salutation to the motherland and proper decorum is maintained. In all schools, the day's work may begin with community singing of the anthem. School authorities should make adequate provision in their programmes for popularising the singing of the Anthem and promoting respect for the National Flag among students.

General
1. Whenever the Anthem is sung or played, the audience shall stand to attention. However, when in the course of a newsreel or documentary the Anthem is played as a part of the film, it is not expected of the audience to stand as standing is bound to interrupt the exhibition of the film and would create disorder and confusion rather than add to the dignity of the Anthem. As in the case of the flying of the National Flag, it has been left to the good sense of the people not to indulge in indiscriminate singing or playing of the Anthem.

2.

Source: India Book - A Reference Annual

National Aquatic Animal

River Dolphin is the National Aquatic Animal of India. The Ministry of Environment and Forests notified(File referring to external site opens in a new window) the Ganges River Dolphin as the National Aquatic Animal on 18th May 2010. This mammal is also said to represent the purity of the holy Ganga as it can only survive in pure and fresh water. Platanista gangetica has a long pointed snout and also have visible teeth in both the upper and lower jaws. Their eyes lack a lens and therefore function solely as a means of detecting the direction of light. Dolphins tend to swim with one fin trailing along the substrate while rooting around with their beak to catch shrimp and fish. Dolphins have a fairly thick body with light grey-brown skin often with a hue of pink. The fins are large and the dorsal fin is triangular and undeveloped. This mammal has a forehead that rises steeply and has very small eyes. River Dolphins are solitary creatures and females tend to be larger than males. They are locally known as susu, because of the noise it makes while breathing. This species inhabits parts of the Ganges, Meghna and Brahmaputra rivers in India, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh, and the Karnaphuli River in Bangladesh.

River dolphin is a critically endangered species in India and therefore, has been included in the Schedule I for the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The main reasons for decline in population of the species are poaching and habitat degradation due to declining flow, heavy siltation, construction of barrages causing physical barrier for this migratory species.

STATUS PAPER ON RIVER GANGA

State of Environment and Water Quality

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National River Conservation Directorate Ministry of Environment and Forests

lR;eso t;rs

STATUS PAPER ON RIVER GANGA

State of Environment and Water Quality

National River Conservation Directorate Ministry of Environment and Forests Government of India

August, 2009

Alternate Hydro Energy Centre Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee

Disclaimer
Every possible care has been taken to ensure that the data used in this paper are correct, consistent and complete as far as possible. Constraints of available time and resources, however, do not preclude the possibility of errors, omissions etc. in the data and consequently in their use in the paper. Contents of this paper can be used freely.

Table of Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CHAPTER-1 CHAPTER-2 INTRODUCTION GANGA BASIN 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 CHAPTER-3 Background Location Climate Course of Ganga Hydrology of Ganga Basin Physiographic Aspects of Ganga Basin Soil Characteristics of Ganga Basin Demography of Ganga Basin I 1 3 3 3 4 4 4 7 8 8 9 9 9 10 11 11 12 13 13 16 17 18 19 19 20 20 20 21 21

GANGA ACTION PLAN 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Objective of Ganga Action Plan (GAP) Approach of Ganga Action Plan Institutional arrangements Ganga Action Plan Phase I (GAP I) Ganga Action Plan Phase II (GAP II) Industrial Pollution

CHAPTER-4

WATER QUALITY STATUS OF GANGA RIVER 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Pre-GAP Status Post GAP Quality Impact of River Action Plan on River Quality Summary

CHAPTER-5

CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF GAP 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Limited scope of GAP Formulation of Schemes Implementation Operation and Maintenance Technological Issues Conclusion

CHAPTER-6

FUTURE COURSE OF ACTION 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Revamping of the River Conservation Programme Constitution of National Ganga River Basin Authority Functions and Powers of the NGRBA Action Plan Resources

22 22 22 22 24 24

ANNEXURES I II III IV V Catchment Area, Annual Water Yield and Mean Flow rate of Streams in Ganga Basin Major Water Resources Projects in Ganga Basin Parametric Values of Ganga River during Pre GAP at Selected Stations Water Quality Data of Ganga River during 1986-2008 Classification of Ganga Water at various locations according to Designated Best Use REFERENCES LIST OF FIGURES Fig. 1 Fig. 2 Fig. 3 Fig. 4 Fig. 5 Fig. 6 Fig. 7 Fig. 8 30 31 25 26 28 29

Ganga Basin Mean Discharge (Seasonal) Seasonal Flow Variation Lean Flow in Ganga during Summers Line Diagram of Ganga with its Major Tributaries and Water Management Structures Parametric Values of Ganga Pre GAP at Selected Stations Water Quality Data for River Ganga (summer average i.e. March-June) Water Quality Data for River Ganga (summer average i.e. March-June)

5 6 6 6 7 14 16 17

LIST OF TABLES Table 2.1 State Wise Distribution of Drainage Area of Ganga River in India Table 2.2 State-wise Number of Cities/Towns and Estimated Population Table 3.1 The Designated Best Use classification of Inland surface waters Table 4.1 Status of Ambient Water Quality Along Different Zones of the Ganga Table 4.2 Zoning and Water Quality Classification of the Ganga

3 8 10 15 15

Executive Summary

1.0

INTRODUCTION

India is endowed with rich water resources. Approximately 45,000 km long riverine systems criss-cross the length and breadth of the country. India has 12 major river basins, 46 medium river basins and 14 minor and desert river basins. Ganga river basin is the largest of these, extending over the states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal. Rapidly increasing population, rising standards of living and exponential growth of industrialization and urbanisation have exposed the water resources, in general, and rivers, in particular, to various forms of degradation. Many Indian rivers, including the Ganga in several stretches, particularly during lean flows, have become unfit even for bathing. Realising that the rivers of the country were in a serious state of degradation, a beginning towards their restoration was made with the launching of the Ganga Action Plan (GAP) in 1985. 2.0 GANGA BASIN

The Ganga basin lies between East longitudes 7330 and 89 0 and North latitudes of 2230 and 3130, covering an area of 1,086,000 sq km, extending over India, Nepal and Bangladesh. It has a catchment area of 8,61,404 sq. km in India, constituting 26% of the country's land mass and supporting about 43% of population (448.3 million as per 2001 census). Ganga has many tributaries, both in the Himalayan region before it enters the plains at Haridwar and further downstream before its confluence with the Bay of Bengal. December-May are the lean flow months. The surface water resource potential of Ganga has been assessed as 525 billion cubic meters (BCM). Substantial abstraction of water for various purposes including irrigation, power generation and drinking water has impacted the quantity of flows in the river, particularly in the stretch between Kannauj and Allahbad. 3.0 GANGA ACTION PLAN (GAP)

Ganga drains a basin of extraordinary variation in altitude, climate, land use and cropping pattern. Ganga has been a cradle of human civilization since time immemorial. It is one of the most sacred rivers in the world and is deeply revered by the people of this country.

The Ganga Action Plan was launched in 1985 with the objective of pollution abatement to improve the water quality in the river. The programme included 261 schemes spread over 25 Class I towns of U.P., Bihar and West Bengal. The main focus of the Plan was on Interception & Diversion and treatment of sewage generated from these identified towns. 34 Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) with a treatment capacity of 869 mld have been set up under the Plan. GAP I was completed in March 2000 at a cost of Rs. 452 crores.

Status Paper on River Ganga

GAP II was started in 1993. It covers 59 towns located along the river in the five states of Uttarakhand, U.P, Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal. 319 schemes have been taken up under the Plan, out of which 200 have been completed. An expenditure of Rs. 370.40 crore has been incurred so far and sewage treatment capacity of 130 mld has been created. GAP II was expanded in 1996 into the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP), which presently covers polluted stretches of 36 rivers in 20 States in the country. 4.0 STATUS OF WATER QUALITY OF GANGA RIVER

over the pre-GAP period. This should be seen in the background of a steep increase in population with concomitant increase in organic pollution load. 5.0 CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF GAP

The Ganga river water quality evaluated on the basis of pollution indicators (DO, BOD and coliform) indicates that dissolved oxygen levels have improved in the main stem of Ganga. The values are mostly above the recommended value of 5.0 mg/l, except in the stretch between Kannauj and Kanpur where values below 5.0 mg /l have been noticed on several occasions. BOD values are also within stipulated limits in the upper and lower reaches of the Ganga but tend to be higher than 5.0 mg /l in the middle stretch from Kannauj to Varanasi. This can be described as the critical stretch. The faecal coliform remains the only parameter on which the observed values exceed the permissible limits of 2500 MPN/100 ml at most places except in the upper reaches up to Haridwar. Despite the problems of operation and maintenance, the river water quality shows discernible improvement (in terms of DO and BOD)

The success of GAP has been in preventing further deterioration of water quality, generally maintaining it and improving it in some places, even though the pollution load draining into the river has substantially increased due to population growth, rapid industrialization and urbanization. It can be inferred that if the pollution abatement programme had not been implemented there would have been an inevitable deterioration in the quality of river water posing threat to public health and ecology. A positive outcome of the programme has been an increased public awareness of the need to protect our rivers. 6.0 FUTURE COURSE OF ACTION

Recognising the need to revamp the river conservation strategy, the Central Government has given Ganga the status of a 'National River' and has set up the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) on 20th February 2009. It is an empowered planning, financing, monitoring and coordinating Authority for effective abatement of pollution and conservation of the river. The Authority would adopt a comprehensive and holistic approach for conserving the river Ganga with river basin as the unit of planning. The Authority would seek to maintain minimum ecological flows besides implementing pollution abatement activities.

ii

01

Introduction

India is endowed with rich water resources. Approximately 45,000 km long riverine systems criss-cross the length and breadth of the country. These rivers include Himalayan snow fed rivers, peninsular rain fed rivers and coastal short rapids. The total geographical area of 3.29 millon square km of the country has been divided in to 12 major river basins, 46 medium river basins and 14 minor and desert river basins. The major river basins account for 78% of total surface area and serve 80% of the population. The Ganga river basin is the largest of these, extending over the states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal. Rapidly increasing population, rising standards of living and exponential growth of industrialisation and urbanisation have exposed the water resources, in general, and rivers, in particular, to various forms of degradation. The deterioration in the water quality of the river impacts the people immediately. Many Indian rivers, including the Ganga in some stretches, particularly during lean flows, have become unfit even for bathing. Realising that the rivers of the country were in a serious state of degradation, a beginning towards their restoration was made with the launching of the Ganga Action Plan in 1985. It was envisaged as a comprehensive programme of river conservation with the objective of improving the water quality. It was visualised that in due course, the programme would be enlarged to cover other major rivers of the country.

In order to prepare such a major programme, an exhaustive study titled Assessment and Development Study of River Basin Series (ADSORBS) of the Ganga Basin was carried out by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The study covered all aspects of rivers in the Ganga basin including water quality. The study pointed out that besides pollution from municipal and industrial wastes, non-point sources like run off from rural settlements, pesticides from agricultural fields, open defecation, dumping of carcasses and disposal of dead bodies significantly contribute to pollution of the river and render the water unsuitable for its intended use. Equally important is the issue of flow in the River. Dams and barrages for storing and diverting water for irrigation, domestic consumption and industry, affect the flow, particularly during dry months. This has serious implications for water quality and aquatic life in the river. The Ganga Action Plan Phase I (GAP I) was started in 1985 to improve the water quality of river Ganga to acceptable standards by preventing the pollution load reaching the river. The main focus of the Plan was on interception, diversion and treatment of municipal sewage draining into the river, which accounted for about 75% of river pollution. Treatment capacity of 869 million liters per day (MLD) was created in 25 Class-I towns in the three States of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. In addition to the core works relating to sewerage and sewage treatment, certain non-core works like afforestation, crematoria, low cost sanitation and river front development, were also taken up.

Status Paper on River Ganga

Under GAP I, only a part of the pollution load of river Ganga was addressed. Therefore, the Plan was extended to GAP II, which was approved in stages between 1993 and 1996. Besides Ganga, GAP II included its major tributaries viz. Yamuna, Gomti and Damodar. Subsequently, Mahananda was also added. 59 towns along the main stem of river

Ganga in the 5 States of Uttarakhand, UP, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal are covered under GAP II. A sewage treatment capacity of 130 MLD has been created under the Plan. In response to demands from many States, the Ganga Action Plan was expanded in 1996 to the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) to include other rivers in the country. Presently polluted stretches of 36 rivers in 20 States are covered under NRCP.

02

Ganga Basin

2.1

BACKGROUND

centered festivals such as Kumbh Mela and numerous Snan (bath) festivals.

The Himalayas are the source of three major Indian rivers namely the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra. Ganga drains a basin of extraordinary variation in altitude, climate, land use, flora and fauna, social and cultural life. Ganga has been a cradle of human civilization since time immemorial. Millions depend on this great river for physical and spiritual sustenance. People have immense faith in the powers of healing and regeneration of the Ganga. It is one of the most sacred rivers in the world and is deeply revered by the people of this country. The River plays a vital role in religious ceremonies and rituals. To bathe in Ganga is a lifelong ambition of many who congregate in large numbers for several river 2.2 LOCATION

Ganga basin is the largest river basin in India in terms of catchment area, constituting 26% of the country's land mass (8,61,404 Sq. km) and supporting about 43% of its population (448.3 million as per 2001 census). The basin lies between East longitudes 7330and 89 0 and North latitudes of 2230 and 3130, covering an area of 1,086,000 sq km, extending over India, Nepal and Bangladesh. About 79% area of Ganga basin is in India. The basin covers 11 states viz., Uttarakhand, U.P., M.P., Rajasthan, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal and Delhi. The drainage area in each state is given in Table 2.1.

Table 2.1: State Wise Distribution of Drainage Area of the Ganga River in India
(Source: CWC publication no. 50/89 Major River Basins of India - An Overview - April 1989)

State Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh Bihar and Jharkhand Rajasthan West Bengal Haryana Himachal Pradesh Delhi Total

Drainage area (km ) 294,364 198,962 143,961 112,490 71,485 34,341 4,317 1,484 861,404

Status Paper on River Ganga

2.3

CLIMATE

tributaries, most of which are from the north and a few from the south. In the stretch between Allahabad in U.P. and Malda in West Bengal, Ganga, therefore, has considerable flow. The Farakka barrage in West Bengal regulates the flow of the river, diverting some of the water into a feeder canal linking Hooghly to keep it relatively silt-free. Downstream of this barrage, River Ganga splits into two, Bhagirathi (Hooghly) on the right and Padma on the left. Bhagirathi (Hooghly) meets the Bay of Bengal about 150 km downstream of Kolkata. Padma enters Bangladesh and meets river Brahmputra and Meghna before finally joining the Bay of Bengal. 2.5 HYDROLOGY OF GANGA BASIN

The annual average rainfall in the basin varies between 39 cm to 200 cm, with an average of 110 cm. Eighty percent of the rainfall occurs during the monsoon months i.e. between June and October. Because of large temporal variations in precipitation over the year, there is wide fluctuation in the flow characteristics of the river.

2.4

COURSE OF GANGA

Bhagirathi is the source stream of Ganga. It emanates from Gangotri Glacier at Gaumukh at an elevation of 3,892 m (12,770 feet). Many small streams comprise the headwaters of Ganga. The important among these are Alaknanda, Dhauliganga, Pindar, Mandakini and Bhilangana. At Devprayag, where Alaknanda joins Bhagirathi, the river acquires the name Ganga. It traverses a course of 2525 km before flowing into the Bay of Bengal. It has a large number of tributaries joining it during this journey (Figure 1). In Uttarakhand, near Tehri, a dam, has been built on Bhagirathi for hydropower generation resulting in regulated additional water during the dry months. At Haridwar, Ganga opens to the Gangetic Plains, where a barrage diverts a large quantity of its waters into the Upper Ganga Canal, to provide water for irrigation. At Bijnore, another barrage diverts water into the Madhya Ganga Canal but only during monsoon months. At Narora, there is further diversion of water into the Lower Ganga Canal. Further down, River Ramganga joins Ganga near Kannauj, adding additional water to the river. Yamuna confluences Ganga at the Sangam in Allahabad, making a major contribution to the river flow. Beyond Allahabad, Ganga is joined by several

Rainfall, subsurface flows and snow melt from glaciers are the main sources of water in river Ganga. Surface water resources of Ganga have been assessed at 525 billion cubic meter (BCM). Catchment area, annual yield of water and mean flow of tributaries of Ganga are given in Annexure-I. Out of its 17 main tributaries, Yamuna, Sone, Ghagra and Kosi contribute over half of the annual water yield of the Ganga. These tributaries meet the Ganga at Allahabad and further downstream. The river has a problem of low flows between the Haridwar - Allahabad stretch, as may be seen from Figures 2 and 3. December to May are the months of lean flow in the Ganga. The lean flow during these months, at some important towns along the river Ganga, is shown in Figure 4.

Ganga Basin

Fig. 1: Ganga Basin

Status Paper on River Ganga

Fig. 2 : Mean Discharge Seasonal

Gauging Stations

Fig. 3 : Seasonal Flow Variation

Gauging Stations

Fig. 4 : Lean Flow in Ganga during summers

Gauging Stations

Ganga Basin
Bhagirathi Yamuna Tajewala Delhi Chambal Sind Betwa Ken Ramganga Hardwar Bijnore Narora Tehri Dam Ganga Alaknanda

Allahabad Tons Gomati Ghaghara Sone Gandak Punpun Patna Buri Gandak Kosi Farakka

Dam/Barrage Place name

Bhagirathi Hooghly Bay of Bengal

Padma Brahmaputra Meghna

Fig. 5: Line diagram of Ganga with its major tributaries and water management structures The average annual flow at various gauging stations and in major tributaries is shown in the line diagram in Fig. 5. The tributaries joining Ganga from the south are shown on the left of the diagram and those joining it from the north are shown on the right side. On an average, each square km of the Ganga basin receives a million cubic meter (MCM) of water as rainfall. 30% of this is lost as evaporation, 20% seeps to the subsurface and the remaining 50% is available as surface runoff. The deep channel of the river bounded by high banks facilitates the passage of ground water as base flow. Annual flooding is the characteristic of all rivers in the Ganga basin. The Ganga rises during the monsoon but the high banks restrict the flood water from spreading. The flood plain is usually 0.5 to 2 km wide. This active flood plain is flooded every year. There are many structures on the Ganga which divert its discharge. Major Water Resources Development Projects on the river are given in Annexure-II. 2.6 PHYSIOGRAPHIC ASPECTS OF GANGA BASIN

Structurally, the Ganga basin comprises of three large divisions of the Indian subcontinent, namely: the Himalayan fold mountains and the Central Indian highlands, the Peninsular shield, and the Gangetic plain. The Himalayan Fold Mountains include numerous snow peaks rising above 7000 meters. Each of these peaks is surrounded by snow fields and glaciers. All the tributaries are characterised by well regulated flows and assured

Status Paper on River Ganga

supply of water throughout the year. The Gangetic plain, in which the main stem of Ganga lies, consists of alluvial formation and is a vast flat depositional surface at an elevation below 300 meters. 2.7 SOIL CHARACTERISTICS OF GANGA BASIN

Shallow black soils and lateritic soils covering an area of 6% have very low erodibility. Broadly, it can be said that soils in Haryana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, through which the main stem of Ganga and all its tributaries flow, have very high erodibility. 2.8 DEMOGRAPHY OF GANGA BASIN

The Ganga basin consists of a wide variety of soils. While soils of the high Himalayas in the north are subject to continuous erosion, the Gangetic plain provides a huge receptacle into which thousands of meters of thick layers of sediments have been deposited to form a wide valley plain. The Deccan plateau in the south has a mantle of residual soils of varying thickness arising out of weathering of ancient rocks of the peninsular shield. Some of the soils are highly susceptible to erosion. Mountain soils, submontane soils and alluvial soils, covering 58 % of the basin area, have very high erodibility; red soils covering 12% of the basin area have high erodibility, red & yellow soils and mixed red and black soils covering an area of 8% have moderate erodibility, and deep black soils and medium black soils covering an area of 14% have low erodibility.

Demography has an important bearing on the state of the river as it is significantly affected by the population living within the basin. Average population density in the Ganga basin is 520 persons per square km as against 312 for the entire country (2001 census). Major cities of Delhi, Kolkata, Kanpur, Lucknow, Patna, Agra, Meerut, Varanasi and Allahabad are situated in the basin. The cities in the basin have large and growing populations and a rapidly expanding industrial base. The summary of urban population in the basin is given in Table 2.2. It can be seen that between 1991 and 2001, urban population increased by 32%. This trend is likely to continue. The pollution load is also expected to increase correspondingly.

Table 2.2: State-wise Number of Cities/Towns and Estimated Population

S. No 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

State Bihar (including Jharkhand) Haryana Himachal Pradesh Madhya Pradesh ( including Chhattisgarh) Rajasthan Uttar Pradesh Uttarakhand West Bengal Delhi Total

No of towns/ cities 130 106 57 394 222 704 86 373 1 2073

Urban population 1991 2001 6,715,096 8,681,800 4,054,744 449,196 12,152,967 10,077,371 27,544,233 18,707,601 8,471,625 88,172,833 6,115,304 595,581 15,967,145 13,200,000 34,539,582 2,179,074 22,427,251 12,905,780 116,611,517

03

Ganga Action Plan

To prevent the pollution of river Ganga and to improve its water quality, an Action Plan known as Ganga Action Plan was formulated in the year 1984 on the basis of a comprehensive survey of the Ganga Basin carried out by the Central Pollution Control Board under "Assessment and Development Study of River Basin Series (ADSORB)". 3.1 OBJECTIVES OF GANGA ACTION PLAN (GAP)

The classification of designated best use of inland surface water as stipulated by CPCB is given in Table 3.1. 3.2 APPROACH OF GANGA ACTION PLAN (GAP)

The objective, at the time of launching the Ganga Action Plan in 1985, was to improve the water quality of Ganga to acceptable standards by preventing the pollution load from reaching the river. Later, in 1987, on the recommendations of the Monitoring Committee of GAP, the objective of the Plan was modified to restoring the river water quality to the Designated Best Use class of Ganga, which is Bathing Class (Class B). The standards of water quality for Class B are given in the following box.

Studies undertaken before the formulation of the Ganga Action Plan indicated that a large proportion of pollution load in the river came from the municipal wastewater generated in 25 Class I towns located on the banks of the Ganga, each with a population exceeding one lakh. Therefore, the emphasis under the Plan was on interception and diversion of wastewater and its treatment in Sewage Treatment Plants, before discharge into river or on land. In addition, works were also undertaken to prevent pollution of the river from non-point sources, improving aesthetics, and promoting public participation. The various types of schemes taken up under GAP are categorized into core and non-core schemes.

WATER QUALITY STANDARDS FOR OUT DOOR BATHING (CLASS B) pH Dissolved Oxygen (DO) Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) Faecal Coliform : : : : 6.5 8.5 5 mg/l or more 3 mg/l or less 500 MPN / 100 ml (Desirable) 2500 MPN/100 ml (Max. Permissible)

Status Paper on River Ganga

Table 3.1 The Designated Best Use Classification of Inland Surface Water
Source: CPCB

Class Designated Best Use (DBU)

A

CRITERIA 6.5 to 8.5 6 mg/l or more 2 mg/l or less 50 MPN/100 ml 6.5 to 8.5 5 mg/l or more 3 mg/l or less 500 MPN/100 ml 6.5 to 8.5 4 mg/l or more 3 mg/l or less 5000 MPN/100 ml 6.5 to 8.5 4 mg/l or more 1.2 mg/l 6.5 to 8.5 2250 mhos/cm 26 2 mg/l

Drinking Water Source without pH conventional treatment but Dissolved Oxygen (DO) Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) after disinfection Total Coliform Outdoor bathing (Organised) pH Dissolved Oxygen (DO) Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) Total Coliform Drinking Water Source with pH C o n v e n t i o n a l t r e a t m e n t Dissolved Oxygen (DO) Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) followed by disinfection Total Coliform Propagation of wild life and pH Dissolved Oxygen (DO) fisheries Free Ammonia Irrigation, industrial cooling pH and controlled waste disposal Electrical Conductivity Sodium absorption ratio Boron

Core Schemes : Interception and diversion (I&D) of sewage, reaching the Ganga river. Installing treatment facilities to treat the intercepted sewage.

3.3

INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS

An apex body, namely the Central Ganga Authority, (CGA) was set up under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister to finalize the policy framework and to coordinate and oversee the implementation of the Action Plan. A Steering Committee was constituted with Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests as Chairman to consider approval of schemes, allocation of funds and to review progress. A Monitoring Committee was also constituted to monitor progress of implementation of schemes. The Ganga Project Directorate (GPD), with the necessary financial and administrative powers, was set up as a part of the Ministry of Environment and Forests to implement the Action Plan. GAP II was merged with the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) in 1996. The NRCP presently covers polluted stretches of 36 rivers spread over 165 towns in 20 States.

Non Core Schemes : Providing facilities of Low Cost Sanitation (LCS) at community and individual levels at identified locations. Installation of Crematoria (electric as well as wood based improved crematoria). River Front Development (RFD) including bathing ghats. Afforestation Public awareness and participation.

10

Ganga Action Plan

3.4

GANGA ACTION PLAN PHASE I (GAP I)

Under GAP I, pollution abatement schemes were taken up in 25 Class-I towns in three States of U.P., Bihar and West Bengal. GAP I was declared complete on 31.03.2000 with an expenditure of Rs. 452 crore. The details are given below: States Covered Towns Covered Schemes Sanctioned Schemes Completed Interception and Diversion Sewage Treatment Plants Low Cost Sanitation Crematoria River Front Development Others (afforestation) Sewage Treatment Capacity to be Created Sewage Treatment Capacity Created Total expenditure incurred : : : : : : : : : : : : : 3 (UP, Bihar and West Bengal) 25 (UP-6, Bihar-4 and West Bengal-15) 261 260 88 34 43 28 35 32 882 MLD (35 STPs) 869 MLD (34 STPs) Rs. 452 Crores.

3.5

GANGA ACTION PLAN PHASE II (GAP II)

As GAP I addressed only a part of the pollution load of Ganga, GAP II was launched in stages between 1993 and 1996. 59 towns along the main stem of river Ganga in five States of Uttarakhand, U.P., Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal are covered under the Plan. The salient features of the Plan are as under: States Covered Towns Covered Schemes Sanctioned Schemes Completed Sewage Treatment Capacity to be Created Sewage Treatment Capacity Created : : : : : : 5 (Uttarakhand, UP, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal) 59 (Uttarakhand-10, UP-12, Bihar-13, Jharkhand1, West Bengal-23) 319 200 277.28 MLD (37 STPs) 129.77 MLD (18 STPs)

11

Status Paper on River Ganga

3.6

INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION

Presently, 154 grossly polluting industrial units are identified on the main stem of River Ganga. Of these, 94 units have Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs) operating satisfactorily, 22 have ETPs but they do not operate satisfactorily and 38 Units have closed down. The total number of grossly polluting units along river Ganga and its tributaries is 478. Of these, 335 units have ETPs operating satisfactorily, while in 64 units ETPs do not operate satisfactorily and 79 units have been closed down.

Though industrial pollution constitutes around 20% of the total pollution load by volume, its contribution to polluting the river Ganga is much greater, due to the higher concentration of pollutants. This problem was sought to be addressed by focusing on Grossly Polluting Industries. Any industrial unit, discharging into the river effluent having BOD load of 100 kg/day or more, and/or is involved in the manufacture and use of hazardous substances, is classified as grossly polluting. Such units were identified and asked to install Effluent Treatment Plants.

12

04

Water Quality Status of Ganga River

Water quality monitoring is undertaken with the objective of defining the status of water quality. It also provides an idea of the trend in water quality. It is a long term and standardized assessment. The primary uses considered for such characterization relate to drinking water, safety of human contact and health of ecosystems. Before the launching of GAP, a comprehensive study of water quality in Ganga River Basin was undertaken by CPCB (at 39 stations between Rishikesh and Diamond Harbour). Under GAP, Water Quality Monitoring is a regular activity. This is being done at 27 Monitoring Stations. Though 21 water quality parameters were identified by NRCD, the emphasis is on parameters which indicate the quality criteria for Designated Best Use viz. pH, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and indictor bacteria coliform (faecal coliform). This monitoring is being carried out through reputed scientific institutes/universities situated along the river and having the necessary infrastructure and capability to undertake this work. Nine core parameters and site specific heavy metals are monitored on a monthly basis. Performance monitoring of sewage treatment plants is also undertaken. A 'Protocol for Water Quality Monitoring' notified by the Water Quality Assessment Authority is being followed for achieving uniformity in monitoring of surface & ground water by all agencies in the country.

The authenticity and reliability of water quality data is ensured through an exercise of Analytical Quality Control (AQC) with the help of Central Pollution Control Board. A water quality monitoring bulletin is published at regular intervals for information and corrective measures. 4.1 4.1.1 PRE-GAP STATUS Dissolved Oxygen (DO)

During the pre-GAP period, DO values exhibited a more or less stable pattern in Ganga. The average values ranged between 6.8-7.2 mg/l. The values were generally above 4.0 mg/l. Higher values were recorded in winters at Haridwar, Allahabad, Varanasi and Patna. There were only minor fluctuations. 4.1.2 Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)

BOD depicts the pollution status of a stream and is measured as oxygen equivalent of organic matter. The values exhibited higher pollution level during post monsoon months than in summers and winters. The BOD levels were higher at Kannauj and downstream upto Varanasi. The pattern of variation, spatial and temporal, was not smooth. Maximum values were recorded at Kanpur downstream [15.5 mg/l, 14.15 mg/l, 16.39 mg/l (post-monsoon, winter and summers)]. Minimum values of less than 3 mg/l were recorded in the hilly

13

Status Paper on River Ganga

stretches and downstream of Patna, except at Diamond Harbour where value of 15.58 mg/l was recorded in summer. 4.1.3 Coliform

were higher in summers compared to those in postmonsoon and winter seasons. The data at 16 monitoring stations during the preGAP period is given in Annexure-III. The graphic representation is given in Figure 6. The pre GAP status of ambient water quality along different zones of the River Ganga as per CPCB's classification of 'Designated Best use' is summarized in Table 4.1 and Table 4.2.

The variation in total coliforms was 48333, 916667 and 835333 MPN/100 ml (post monsoon, winter and summer) at Uluberia with minimum levels at Haridwar (43, 2400, 2400). As expected, the counts

Monitoring Stations

14

Water Quality Satus of Ganga River

Table 4.1 Status of Ambient Water Quality Along Different Zones of the Ganga
Total Coliform Uttarakhand Rishikesh C Haridwar C Garhmukteswar C UP Kannauj D Kanpur u/s D Kanpur d/s D Allahabad u/s D Allahabad d/s D Mirzapur D Varanasi u/s D Varanasi d/s D Bihar Buxar D Patna u/s D Patna d/s D Munger D Bhagalpur D Rajmahal D West Bengal Farakka D Nabadwip D Kalyani D Palta D Uluberia D Diamond Harbour D u/s -: upstream d/s -: downstream Monitoring Stations DO Status B C C B C D A A A A A A A A B A A A A B A B A BOD Over all water Status quality B B D C D C D C D D D D D D D D D D D D D D B C C C B C C C B C B C A C A C D D B D D D D D

Table 4.2 Zoning and Water Quality Classification of the Ganga

S. No. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Zone Source to Rishikesh Rishikesh to Kannauj Kannauj to d/s Varanasi (Trighat) Trighat to Kalyani Kalyani to Diamond Harbour Length (km) 250 420 730 950 100 Ambient Water Designated quality class Best Use B C B C D A B A B B Critical parameter Total Coliform Total Coliform and BOD Total Coliform Total Coliform Total Coliform

(Source: CPCB)

15

Status Paper on River Ganga

4.2 4.2.1

POST-GAP QUALITY Dissolved Oxygen

A perusal of the results (Annexure IV) indicates that in 22 years of monitoring at 16 stations, the value of DO below 5.0 mg/l was recorded only in 2.6% cases. In these cases, the values were between 3.2 and 4.9 mg/l. These were observed between Kannauj and Kanpur. A comparison of results with pre-GAP period shows that there is a marginal increase in DO values indicating improvement in water quality. 4.2.2 Biochemical Oxygen Demand

compared to DO. Values exceeding 3.0 mg/l or more were recorded in 27% samples. These values were observed mostly in the stretch between Kannauj and Kanpur and sometimes at Allahabad. Detailed perusal, station wise and year wise, reveals that the values exceeded the acceptable standard ( 3.0 mg/l) at Rishikesh and Haridwar only once and twice respectively whereas between Kannauj and Kanpur the values exceeded the acceptable level frequently. Higher values of BOD were also recorded at Allahabad and Varanasi. The most critical stretch is between Kannauj and Allahabad downstream. The highest value of BOD (65.8 mg/l) was recorded at Kanpur during lean flow. The graphic representation is in Figure 8.

The variation in BOD values is much higher as

16

Water Quality Satus of Ganga River

4.2.3

Total Coliform and Fecal Coliform

The desired class of water (according to the Designated Best Use of the Ganga water) at various locations and the class actually found in various years is given in Annexure - V. The classification is based on the measured values of DO, BOD and Coliform (CF). The parameters on which water is below the desired class, is indicated in italics in the table.

The fecal coliform counts frequently exceeded the stipulated limit at Kannauj, Kanpur, Allahabad and Varanasi. It is also observed that standards for coliforms are exceeded more frequently than for BOD and DO. Thus coliform and BOD emerge as the most critical parameters of river pollution.

4.3

IMPACT OF RIVER ACTION PLAN ON RIVER QUALITY The results of water quality monitoring for the period 1986-2008 are given in Figure 7 & Figure 8 for DO and BOD. This graphical representation is based on data given in Annexure -IV.

It is observed that in 1986, Bio-chemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), ranged from 5.5 to 15.5 mg/l in the critical stretch from Kannauj to Varanasi. As against this, BOD values in 2008 in the stretch from Kannauj to Kanpur and Allahabad to Varanasi are 2.9-4.1mg/l and 2.2-4.8 mg/l respectively, indicating improvement.

17

Status Paper on River Ganga

Dissolved Oxygen (DO) levels (in the Allahabad-Varanasi stretch) were in the range of 5.9 to 6.6 mg/l in 1986. In 2008, the range had improved to 7.3 to 8.4 mg/l. These values of BOD and DO are averages for the critical months of March to June, when temperatures are high and the flows in the river are low. SUMMARY

Coliforms reveals the following: Dissolved Oxygen is largely within acceptable limits. In the upper Ganga, from origin to Haridwar, the water quality is more or less of Bathing Standards (Class B). Higher levels of coliform are present almost throughout Ganga. GAP has not been able to adequately address the issue of coliforms. The stretch from Kannauj to Kanpur and Allahabad to Varanasi remains critical and needs focused attention. Apart from higher levels of coliforms, the norms for BOD indicating organic pollution are also exceeded in this stretch. A study on development of scenarios on comparison of river water quality with and without GAP (Markandya & Murthy, 2004) showed that a stretch of about 740 km (out of total 1520 km) between Rishikesh and Rajmahal would have violated the BOD limit of 3 mg/l without GAP. The study also indicated that a stretch of about 437 km had a BOD level above the permissible limit of 3 mg/l after GAP I.

4.4

Despite the problems of operation and maintenance, river water quality has shown discernible improvement (in terms of DO and BOD) over the pre-GAP period. This has to be seen in the background of a steep increase in population with concomitant increase in organic pollution load. In the absence of Ganga Action Plan, there would have been further deterioration in these parameters. This conclusion has also been corroborated by several independent studies (Markandya & Murthy, 2004). The high BOD values in some of the towns are attributed to increased population and partial interception and diversion under GAP schemes. The water quality of the river is likely to improve when all the ongoing works are completed and the entire waste water being generated is tackled. A comparison of pre-GAP and post-GAP values of the three critical parameters, namely DO, BOD and

18

05

Critical Analysis of GAP

The implementation of GAP has been successful in preventing further deterioration of water quality in the river Ganga, and in fact improving it in a few places, even though the pollution load has increased substantially with time. It would be safe to infer that if the pollution abatement programme had not been taken up there would have been an inevitable and sharp deterioration in the quality of water, posing a serious threat to public health and ecology. Another positive impact of the programme has been an increased public awareness of the need to protect our rivers and other sources of surface water from degradation. In view of the fact that water quality has not yet reached the prescribed standards for bathing, especially in the stretch from Kannauj to Varanasi, there has been criticism of the GAP in the media and civil society. A very significant factor in this regard is the inadequate flow in the river due to abstraction of water for various purposes including irrigation, drinking water and power generation. A sizeable proportion of water is diverted into the Upper and Lower Ganga canals resulting in reduced flow in the main river. On the other hand, there have been independent studies by academic institutions which have concluded that the programme has produced positive results. The Cost Benefit Analysis of GAP-I carried out jointly by the University of Bath and Metroeconomica, UK in collaboration with several Indian institutions also endorsed the positive outcomes of the Plan.

Another indicator of the positive impact of GAP I is that several States demanded that the river conservation programme be extended to other rivers. As a result, the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) was launched in 1995, as a countrywide river conservation programme. It presently covers polluted stretches of 36 rivers in 20 States. 5.1 LIMITED SCOPE OF GAP

GAP suffered from the following limitations; Only a part of the pollution load of the river could be tackled. GAP concentrated on improving the water quality of Ganga, mainly in terms of organic pollution and dissolved oxygen. Only the wastewater of towns flowing through the drains to the river was targeted. Connections of household toilets to the sewer system, solid waste management, and some other vital aspects of municipal activities, which impinge on the water quality were not addressed. The issue of ensuring environmental flows in the river was not attended to. This has become increasingly important in view of the competing demands on the Ganga water for drinking, irrigation and power generation. Adopting more efficient water conservation practices could have reduced the need for abstraction of water from Ganga.

19

Status Paper on River Ganga

Tree cover in the Ganga basin has reduced considerably and land use pattern has changed, leading to soil erosion. Sediment yield and its deposit on the river bed were also not monitored. Pollution load from non-point sources was addressed marginally. No attention was paid to run-off from agricultural fields, which brings nonbiodegradable pesticides into the river. Measures necessary for the prevention of pollution of the river water while planning new settlements or expansion of the present ones were not considered. Watershed development as well as groundwater and surface water interaction were not covered. Only Class-I towns on the banks of rivers were taken up. Thus a large number of urban settlements remained outside the purview of the Plan. Pollution from rural sector was not addressed. Several parameters such as heavy metals, pesticides, nitrogen and phosphorous were not monitored. These parameters have become important with increased industrialisation and urbanisation. FORMULATION OF SCHEMES

In the initial stages, schemes of I&D and STP were implemented with limited knowledge of actual wastewater generation and treatment technology options. This was due to lack of indigenous experience in pollution abatement works. An attempt has been made to address this shortcoming in the next stage (GAP II), with various technologies being evaluated to select the most appropriate option for a particular location. Initially, no provision was made for supply of standby power. Treatment plants & pumping stations, therefore, were operated with frequent interruptions. Subsequently, dedicated power line and/or diesel generator sets have been installed to ensure uninterrupted power supply to these facilities. However, O&M continues to be a major problem. In the absence of a fast track mechanism, there were delays in preparing and sanctioning schemes.

5.3

IMPLEMENTATION

Problems of land acquisition, court cases, contractual issues and inadequate capacities in the local bodies/implementing agencies came in the way of speedy implementation. In some cases, essential components of schemes were not foreseen and estimates had to be revised. This caused cost over-runs and delays. 5.4 OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE (O&M)

5.2

There was little sense of ownership among the stakeholders due to their limited participation in formulating schemes and in implementation. In public perception, the Plan continues to be seen as a Government scheme.

While seeking approval of schemes under the GAP, the State Governments had committed to ensuring proper O&M of the river conservation assets being created. However, most of the states could not provide adequate financial resources for O&M,

20

Critical Analysis of GAP

steady and uninterrupted electricity and e x p e r i e n c e d m a n p o w e r. T h e M u n i c i p a l Corporations had problems in raising the required financial and human resources to ensure proper operation and maintenance of pollution abatment infrastructure created under GAP. Consequently, O&M of these assets suffered resulting in continued pollution of the river. Under-utilization of STPs, in some instances due to non-conveyance of the sewage to the STPs, particularly in the absence of upstream systems such as branch sewer and house connections is also a serious constraint. 5.5 TECHNOLOGICAL ISSUES

ASP is an energy intensive technology, the UASB is less energy intensive but its effluent needs to be polished to meet the prescribed standards before it can be discharged into the river. The experience of using various technologies under GAP has been utilised in selection of appropriate treatment technologies in river pollution abatement programmes subsequently taken up under the NRCP. The system design for the schemes of interception, diversion & treatment of sewage catered to the hydraulic and organic load at the time of designing, with provision for increased load in future. However, treatment facilities at many places were soon found to be inadequate due to phenomenal growth of population and new residential colonies coming up without adequate wastewater treatment infrastructure. Large volume of wastewater in excess of treatment capacity of the STPs, had to be discharged into the river without treatment. 5.6 CONCLUSION

Decentralized approach was adopted only in a few places under the Plan. The schemes generally relied on centralised systems, which meant that sewage was transported to the periphery of the town for treatment before its final disposal. This resulted in long sewer systems, involving pumping and treatment, which were capital and energy intensive. A variety of treatment technologies have been adopted under GAP. At places where adequate land was available, waste stabilization pond technology was used. In most other places, technologies like the Activated Sludge Process (ASP), which is a tried and tested technology, as well as Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB), which is a new technology, were adopted. While

GAP has been a mixed success. Though the programme yielded good results in many stretches, the problem of pollution in river Ganga has not been fully addressed. The river water quality has improved at many locations despite significantly increased demographic and other pressures. However, the critical parameters of water quality, which adversely impact human health, exceed the prescribed standard limits at major locations.

21

06

Future Course of Action

6.1

REVAMPING OF THE RIVER CONSERVATION PROGRAMME

3(3) of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. The Ministry of Environment and Forests would provide the necessary administrative and technical support to the Authority. 6.3 FUNCTIONS AND POWERS OF THE NGRBA The Authority has both regulatory and developmental functions. The Authority will take measures for effective abatement of pollution and conservation of the river Ganga in keeping with sustainable development needs. These include:development of a river basin management plan and regulation of activities aimed at prevention, control and abatement of pollution in the river Ganga to maintain its water quality, and to take measures relevant to river ecology and management in the Ganga Basin States; maintenance of minimum ecological flows in the river Ganga with the aim of ensuring water quality and environmentally sustainable development; measures necessary for planning, financing and execution of programmes for abatement of pollution in the river Ganga including augmentation of sewerage infrastructure, catchment area treatment,

The need for revamping the river conservation programme was widely recognised in view of the shortcomings in the approach followed in the Ganga Action Plan. The implementation was piecemeal and focussed more on municipal sewage. Though this approach yielded good results in many stretches, the problem was not fully addressed. In the meanwhile, the challenges have grown. Over the years, the demand for river water is growing for irrigation, drinking water, industrial use and power. The increasing pollution load from expanding cities, diminishing flows due to melting glaciers, adverse health impacts, ineffective enforcement of environmental norms and lack of social mobilization compound the challenge. 6.2 CONSTITUTION OF NATIONAL GANGA RIVER BASIN AUTHORITY

It was felt necessary that a new holistic approach based on river basin as the unit of planning and institutional redesign may be adopted. Accordingly, the Government of India has given Ganga the status of a 'National River' and has constituted the 'National Ganga River Basin Authority' (NGRBA) on 20.02.2009. The NGRBA is an empowered planning, financing, monitoring and coordinating authority for the Ganga River set up under Section

22

Future Course of Action

protection of flood plains, creating public awareness and such other measures for promoting environmentally sustainable river conservation; collection, analysis and dissemination of information relating to environmental pollution in the river Ganga;

ecological flows, and river conservation. The NGRBA would identify the pollution sources, build a database using scientific methods, analyse the data and ensure its sharing. The NGRBA will draw up a work plan with clear timelines and sources of funding. The Authority would coordinate with other

investigations and research regarding problems of environmental pollution and conservation of the river Ganga;

regulatory agencies like the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) for access to data, and expertise and for promoting new technological options. Since water quality is directly impacted by abstraction, it may issue directions for taking appropriate measures with a view to ensuring minimum flows in the river in the interest of pollution control and environmental management. The Authority will also encourage States, ULBs, industry and farmers to increase water use efficiency and reuse wastewater after proper treatment. The State Governments would set up the State River Conservation Authorities (SRCAs) for coordinating and implementing the river conservation activities at the State level. These would function under the chairmanship of the Chief Ministers. Based on the integrated basin management plan drawn by the NGRBA, the State Governments will take steps for comprehensive management of the river in the States through their respective Authorities. It is expected that this new initiative would rejuvenate the collective efforts of the Centre and States for cleaning the national river Ganga.

creation of special purpose vehicles, as appropriate, for implementation of works vested with the Authority;

promotion of water conservation practices including recycling and reuse, rain water harvesting, and decentralised sewage treatment systems;

monitoring

and

review

of

the

implementation of various programmes or activities taken up for prevention, control and abatement of pollution in the river Ganga; and issuance of directions under section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 for the purpose of exercising and performing all or any of the above functions and for achievement of its objectives. The NGRBA would thus be responsible for addressing the problem of pollution in Ganga in a holistic and comprehensive manner. The responsibilities of the Authority would include integrating activities related to sustainable use of water, pollution abatement, maintenance of

23

Status Paper on River Ganga

6.4

ACTION PLAN

A detailed plan of activities with milestones to be achieved will be formulated for approval of the Authority. This would include timelines and budgetary resources. Essential preliminary activities in this regard have been initiated. These are: Preparation of a River Basin Management Plan for the Ganga Basin Preparation of a Status paper on Ganga Preparation of Action Plans for the hotspots like Haridwar, Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna, etc. in consultation with the State Governments. Discussion on modalities of setting up of Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) at appropriate locations as a means of mobilizing private sector resources and achieving efficiencies. Mapping of the Ganga Basin Preparation of a Compendium of sewage treatment technologies Preparation of a memorandum of agreement to be signed between the Central Government, State Governments and ULBs linking flow of funds to achievement of agreed milestones. RESOURCES

the existing Central and State schemes are inadequate, and not commensurate with the objective of cleaning the river to the desired standards in a time bound manner. Significant upscaling of budgetary support for the river cleaning activities would, therefore, be essential. For carrying out the mandate of the Authority, and to achieve the objective of cleaning the river Ganga in a time-bound manner, substantial resources will be required. These resources could be mobilized by using a combination of options. These include Dovetailing the existing schemes like Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns (UIDSSMT), etc. Encouraging the State Governments and the Urban Local Bodies to generate resources through taxes, levies, cess, user charges etc. Creating a corpus for the Authority to be provided by the Central Government. Approaching the 13th Finance Commission for a special provision, considering the impact on a very large population. Creating SPVs for implementing specific river conservation activities. This would help mobilize resources from the private sector and the financial institutions. Seeking external assistance from multilateral financial institutions.

6.5

The allocations for pollution abatement and other river conservation works in the Ganga Basin under

24

Annexure

Annexure-I

Catchment Area, Annual Water Yield and Mean Flow Rate of Streams in Ganga Basin.
(Source: CWC/GBWRD publication - A Perspective Plan - 1986)

S. No. Sub-Basin 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Ramganga Yamuna (excluding Chambal) Chambal Tons-Kararmnasa Gomti-Ghaghra Sone-East of Sone Gandak-Burhi Gandak Kodi-Mahananda Total (Tributaries) Ganga Main Stem Evaporation * (attributable to Ground Water) Total Ganga (Upto Indian Border)

Mean Annual Flow (BCM) 17789 57.241 32.554 10.609 113.511 44.144 58.967 81.848 416.663 84.980 23.380 525.023

Percentage contribution 3.39 19.90 6.20 2.02 21.62 8.41 11.23 15.59 79.36 16.19 4.45 100.00

* CWC Publication Water Resources of India 30/88

25

Status Paper on River Ganga

Annexure -II
Major Water Resources Projects in Ganga Basin a. Diversion/Storage Projects for consumptive use

Year of Name and Completion/ Location Commissioning 1854 Upper Ganga Canal, Haridwar 1874 Agra Canal, Okhla Barrage, Delhi Lower Ganga Canal, Narora Gandhisagar Dam/ M.P.

Diversion/ Storage Diversion

Discharge(m /s)/ storage in (MCM) 297 m 3/s 30.8 m 3/s during Non-monsoon and 56 m 3 /s during monsoon 157 m 3/s 6797 MCM Live Storage 237 m3/s

Purpose

Diversion

Irrigation (0.924 million Ha) Irrigation

1880 1960

Diversion Storage

1990-91

East Ganga Canal Bhimgoda Haridwar Eastern Yamuna Canal

Diversion

In between 1719-1748 AD during Mughal Dynasty 1355 AD During Ferozshah Tuglaq rule 2000

Diversion

85 m /s

Irrigation (0.5 million ha) Irrigation over 0.757 million ha. 115 MW Irrigation during Kharif 0.233 million ha irrigation

Western Yamuna Canal

Diversion

190 m3/s

irrigation

1985 1963 1960 1994

Sharda Sahayak Canal, Lakhimpur Kheri Gandak Canal Kosi Canal Kota Barrage Madhya Ganga Canal, Bijnor

Diversion

650 m3/s 147 m3/s 425 m 3/s 230 m 3/s 234 m 3/s

Irrigation (1.674 million ha) irrigation (0.96 million ha) irrigation (0.44 million ha) irrigation (0.5 million ha) Irrigations (0.306 million ha)

Diversion Diversion Diversion Diversion

26

Annexure

b. Storage Projects for Hydroelectricity Generation

Year of Completion/ Commissioning 1962

Name and Location Rihand Dam/ Sonbhadra, UP Obra Dam Sonbhadra, UP Chambal Valley Project (Excluding Kota Barrage) Ramganga Multipurpose Project at Kalagarh in Bijnor Tons I at Bansagar
Tons II & III at Bansagar Tehri Dam on Bhagirathi

Storage

Storage (MCM)

Purpose

Storage

8900 MCM Live Storage 211 MCM Gross Storage 10500 MCM Live Storage
2190 MCM-Gross Storage

1970-71 1973

Storage Stogare

Hydro Electricity 300 MW + Water Supply to Thermal Plants Hydro Electricity 99 MW 370 MW Hydro Electricity
Hydroelectric (198 MW) and Irrigation (.575 million Ha Flood Control Hydro Electricity

1974

Storage

1991 2001-02
2006

Diversion
Storage Storage

Barrage
5410 MCM Live Storage 2615 MCM Live

Hydro Electricity 90MW

2400 MW of Hydropower and Irrigation to 0.27 million ha Land. Drinking water supply to 3 Delhi @ 10 m /s Hydro Electricity 280 MW Hydro Electricity 520 MW Installed Capacity 420 MW Irrigation (0.15 Million Ha) + 30 MW Hydro + drinking

2006 Under construction Under construction Under construction

Dhauliganga Pithoragarh Tapovan Vishnugarh Project, Joshimath (Chamoli) Lakhwar Phase I and Phase II on River Yamuna Jamrani Multipurpose Dam near Kathgodam

Storage Run of the River Storage

Dhauliganga

333 MCM Live Storage 144 MCM Live Stogage

Storage

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Status Paper on River Ganga

Annexure -III
Parametric values of Ganga River during Pre GAP at Selected Stations
Distance pH* Dissolved OxygenBOD Total Coliform in km PM W S PM W S PM W Rishikesh 0 7.0 Haridwar D/S 30 8.0- 5.25 6.8 4.87 13.2 3.17 2.5 43 2400 7.0 Garhmukteshwar 175 8.0- 8.05 7.87 6.67 2.5 2.0 5.0 2400 1880 7.0 3 Kannauj 430 7.06.7 6.7 10.1 12.9 8.2 16.3 - 4010 8.0 Kanpur U/S 530 8.0 7.1 6.85 6.38 12.4 13.9 13.9 Kanpur D/S 548 8.0 6.5 8.02 4.35 15.5 14.15 16.39 Allahabad U/S 733 8.0 6.6 6.8 7.5 8.04 8.92 6.76 21.780 17310 Allahabad D/S 743 8.0 7.9 10.7 7.08 7.10 5.4 6.95 38100 15440 Varanasi U/S 908 9-8 8.2 11.14 7.03 6.0 5.9 6.49 31885 25930 Varanasi D/S 919 9-8 7.45 8.75 6.88 5.4 5.85 6.38 33612 20892 3 3 Patna U/S 1188 8-8 7.6 8.9 7.71 2.7 1.64 1.71 2410 4010 Patna D/S 1198 8.0 7.2 8.85 7.39 1.55 1.85 3.5 2410 66635 Rajmahal 1508 - 7.57 4.67 7.45 0.9 1.28 1.47 4940 58633 Palta 2050 - 4.67 8.3 3 6.86 0.57 1.07 1.12 19667 748667 Uluberia 2500 8.0 4.58 7.67 6.69 0.6 1.57 1.02 48333 916667 Diamond 6.73 7.47 6.20 1.3 1.47 15.58 31333 8833 Harbour * pH variation (May July 1982); PM (Post Monsoon); W (Winter); S (Summer) Stations

S 2400 1416 21230 17520 14010 5910 3 4610 55403 19563 469767 835333 22600

28

Annexure

Annexure-IV
Water Quality Data of Ganga River During 1986-2008

Sl Station/ Location No Distance 1986 in km 1993 2002 2005

2008

Standard values

29

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 0 30 175 430 433 530 548 733 743 908 916 1188 1198 1508 2050 2500

Rishikesh (0 km) Haridwar D/s (30 km) Garhmukteshwar (175 km) Kannauj U/S (430 km) Kannauj D/S (433 km) Kanpur U/S (530 km) Kanpur D/S (548 km) Allahabad U/S (733 km) Allahabad D/S (743 km) Varanasi U/S (908 km) Varanasi D/S (916 km) Patna U/S (1188 km) Patna D/S (1198 km) Rajmahal (1508 km) Patna (2050 km) Ulberia (2500 km)

DO BOD DO BOD (mg/l) (mg/l) (mg/l) (mg/l) 8.1 1.7 9.0 1.3 8.1 1.8 7.2 1.4 7.8 2.2 8.5 1.6 7.2 5.5 7.2 2.3 6.5 5.1 8.4 2.5 7.2 7.2 7.5 1.9 6.7 8.6 5.2 24.5 6.4 11.4 6.9 1.8 6.6 15.5 7.2 1.9 5.6 10.1 8.2 0.8 5.9 10.6 7.6 1.0 8.4 2.0 8.2 1.2 8.1 2.2 8.0 1.5 7.8 1.8 8.5 0.7 7.3 1.0 7.1 0.9 5.8 1.1 6.1 0.9

DO BOD DO BOD DO BOD DO BOD (mg/l) (mg/l) (mg/l) (mg/l) (mg/l) (mg/l) (mg/l) (mg/l 8.5 1.0 8.1 1.2 5.0 8.2 1.2 3.0 8.1 1.4 3.0 5.0 1.4 7.9 7.8 1.7 7.8 1.9 3.0 5.0 2.0 7.8 7.5 2.1 3.0 8.5 2.9 5.0 1.7 6.5 7.7 1.2 7.6 3.1 4.5 6.2 6.5 4.2 3.0 5.0 6.2 3.4 4.3 4.9 6.3 3.8 3.0 5.0 6.7 4.9 4.7 5.4 6.0 4.1 3.0 5.0 8.5 4.8 5.5 13.0 8.0 8.4 3.0 5.0 8.4 3.2 3.1 8.2 3.8 7.7 3.0 5.0 8.6 10.8 3.0 2.0 7.5 2.2 3.0 5.0 7.5 2.5 8.3 2.3 7.3 3.0 3.0 5.0 7.4 6.0 2.0 1.7 7.1 1.9 3.0 5.0 7.1 2.0 8.0 2.2 5.9 2.4 3.0 5.0 7.4 1.8 6.2 2.0 7.9 1.5 3.0 5.0 7.0 6.9 3.0 2.2 7.3 2.7 3.0 5.0 5.4 2.6 5.3 3.6 5.4 1.9 3.0 5.0

Status Paper on River Ganga

Annexure -V
Classification of Ganga Water at Various Locations According to Designated Best Use

Locations
Ganga at Rishikesh Haridwar Garhmuktesar (UP) Kannauj u/s U.P. Kannuaj d/s U.P. Kanpur u/s U.P. Kanpur d/s U.P. Raibareilly U.P. Allahabad u/s U.P. Allahabad d/s U.P. Varanasi u/s U.P. Varanasi d/s U.P. Gazipur U.P. Buxar Patna u/s Patna d/s Rajmahal Palta (WB) Uluberia (WB)

Desired Class 1997 A D CF B C CF B B BOD B D BOD, CF B D BOD, CF B D BOD, CF B D BOD, CF B D CF B D BOD, CF B D BOD, CF B D BOD, CF B E DO, BOD, CF B D BOD, CF B D BOD B D CF B D CF B D CF B D BOD B D

Observed Class and Critical Parameter 1998 1999 2000 2001 B C NA C CF CF CF C C NA C CF CF CF D NA D BOD BOD, CF D D D D BOD CF BOD, CF BOD, CF D D D D BOD CF BOD, CF BOD, CF NA D D D CF CF CF D D D D BOD CF BOD,CF BOD,CF D C NA NA CF CF E D NA NA CF CF E D NA NA CF CF D D D BOD CF CF E D NA NA BOD, DO BOD D BOD D CF D CF D CF D CF B B D BOD D CF D CF D CF D CF NA NA D CF D CF D CF D CF D CF D BOD, CF D NA D CF D CF D CF D CF D BOD, CF D BOD, CF

2008* B B NA C CF C BOD, CF D CF D BOD, CF NA C CF, BOD D BOD, CF D BOD, CF D BOD, CF NA C CF NA NA D CF D CF D BOD, CF

30

References

1. Das Gupta, S.P. The Ganga Basin, Basin SubBasin Inventory of Water Pollution, Part II (Excluding the Yamuna Sub-Basin), Centre for Study of Man and Environment, 1984. 2. Krishna Murti, C.R., Bilgrami, K.S., Das. T.M. and Mathur, R.P., The Ganga A Scientific Study, Northern Book Depot, New Delhi, 1991. 3. Report of the Committee Constituted to Recommend Measures for Improvement in The Ganga Action Plan, Ministry of Environment & Forests, Govt. of India, New Delhi, March 1999. 4. Bulletin for Water Quality Monitoring, Performance of Sewage Treatment Plant and Summer Average, Ministry of Environment & Forests, Govt. of India, New Delhi, July-Dec 2002. 5. Markandya, A. & Murty, M.N., "Cost benefit analysis of cleaning the Ganges: some emerging environment and development issues," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 9(01), pages 61-81, February 2004 6. Bulletin for Water Quality Monitoring, Summer Averages Performance Monitoring of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), Water Quality Data, Ministry of Environment & Forests, Govt. of India, New Delhi, January-June 2004. 7. Lacy Shaw, Modeling the Efficacy of the Ganga Action Plan's Restoration of the Ganga River, India, Thesis, Natural Resources and Environment at the University of Michigan, Aug. 2006, 8. Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 70, Ganga Action Plan, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, Nov. 27, 2006.

9. Report for the Working Group on Rivers Lakes and Aquifers, For Eleventh Plan, Vol I, National River Conservation Directorate, Ministry of Environment & Forests, Govt. of India, New Delhi, March 2007. 10. Jain S K, et al; Hydrology and water resources of India, Volume 57, Water Science and Technology Library, Springer 2007, pp 333 469 11. M.I.S. Report of Programmes, National River Conservation Plan,, Ministry of Environment & Forests, Govt. of India, New Delhi, Vol.-I, 2007. 12. Roy Nanigopal and Sinha Rajiv, Understanding Confluence Dynamics in the Alluvial GangaRamganga Valley, India: An Integrated Approach using Geomorphology and Hydrology, Geomorphology 92, pp. 182 - 197, May 2007. 13. Water Quality Bulletin on River Water Quality Monitoring and Performance Monitoring of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), National River Conservation Directorate, Ministry of Environment & Forests, Govt. of India, New Delhi, January-June 2007. 14. Water Quality Monitoring for Ganga, NRCD, MOEF, New Delhi, Jan - June 2008. 15. M.I.S. Report of Programmes, National River Conservation Plan, Ministry of Environment & Forests, Govt. of India, Vol-II, Sept. 2008. 16. M.I.S. Report of Programmes Under, National River Conservation Plan, Ministry of Environment & Forests, Govt. of India, New Delhi, Vol-III, Sept. 2008. 17. Ganga Action Plan-A Critical Analysis, Eco Friends, Kanpur (undated)

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