C.R. Patil Leads Key Meet on E-Flow for Ganga, Yamuna Rivers

In a bold and progressive move to protect the country’s vital river systems, Union Jal Shakti Minister Shri C.R. Patil convened a high-level meeting to assess and advance Environmental Flow (E-Flow) management for the Ganga River and its tributaries. The meeting brought together experts, officials, and stakeholders from multiple disciplines to evaluate the implementation of India’s river protection efforts and to strategize future actions for restoring the ecological integrity of the nation’s waterways.

Reassessing the 2018 E-Flow Notification

Shri C.R. Patil emphasized the urgent need to review the impact of the 2018 Environmental Flow Notification, which had set minimum flow levels for different seasons in segments of the Ganga. The minister stressed that with growing pressure on water resources and increasing ecological vulnerabilities, a recalibrated, holistic strategy is essential to achieve a balance between water resource development and ecosystem preservation.

He underlined that environmental flow is not just a technical measure, but a socio-environmental necessity—one that must be continuously updated to remain effective in rapidly changing ecological and hydrological contexts.

Yamuna River in Focus: Urgent Need for Flow Restoration

One of the meeting’s focal points was the Yamuna River, which suffers from both severe pollution and over-extraction of water, especially in urban stretches such as Delhi. Shri Patil expressed concern about the deteriorating health of the Yamuna ecosystem and the inefficacy of current measures to revive the river.

He called for targeted strategies and region-specific action plans, including reassessment of water allocation policies, technological solutions to wastewater treatment, and robust monitoring mechanisms. He also instructed relevant bodies to expedite assessment studies and design corrective frameworks that address the Yamuna’s unique challenges.

Scientific Understanding of Environmental Flow

The meeting highlighted that Environmental Flow (E-Flow) refers to the quality, quantity, and timing of water flow needed to maintain aquatic ecosystems, sustain riverine biodiversity, and support dependent human populations.

With India’s rivers heavily burdened by infrastructure development, agriculture, urbanization, and climate change, the e-flow concept is central to water governance reform. It ensures that rivers are treated as living ecosystems, not just conduits of water for economic use.

E-flow planning helps to:

• Maintain the life cycles of aquatic species

• Prevent habitat degradation

• Support fisheries and livelihoods

• Sustain water quality

• Reduce sediment entrapment behind dams

Stakeholder Engagement and Research Collaboration

To bring scientific rigor and inclusivity into the process, several prestigious institutions have been tasked with conducting environmental flow studies in different sub-basins of the Ganga:

• National Institute of Hydrology (NIH), Roorkee: Chambal, Son, and Damodar rivers

• IIT Roorkee: Ghaghara and Gomti sub-basins

• IIT Kanpur: Kosi, Ganda, and Mahananda rivers

Minister Patil strongly emphasized the importance of stakeholder consultations during the course of these studies. He insisted that water user communities, environmentalists, riverfront dwellers, farmers, and state agencies be actively involved to ensure practical and equitable outcomes.

Inclusive and Scientific Water Governance

Describing the initiative as a landmark in India's river management paradigm, Shri Patil underlined the government’s resolve to adopt an inclusive, multidisciplinary approach. He urged swift evaluation of all programs related to e-flows and instructed officials to strengthen data-driven decision-making, enhance real-time monitoring, and establish performance evaluation systems for ongoing interventions.

He pointed out that sustainable river management cannot succeed without:

• Scientific assessments

• Technological integration

• Community engagement

• Institutional accountability

Multi-Agency Participation for a Unified Strategy

The meeting saw participation from key agencies and institutions, including:

• Shri Rajeev Kumar Mital, Director General, National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG)

• Officials from the Central Water Commission (CWC)

• Experts from NIH Roorkee and IITs

The forum allowed for in-depth discussions on:

• The current status of environmental flows in the Ganga basin

• Policy and technical challenges in implementation

• Institutional frameworks required to support long-term ecological health

Long-Term Vision for Healthy Rivers and People

The Union Ministry of Jal Shakti envisions this initiative as part of a broader mission to ensure that India’s rivers remain ecologically functional, economically valuable, and spiritually revered. With strong political commitment and scientific guidance, the effort aims to secure a future where rivers serve both developmental goals and ecological obligations.

By embracing the principles of e-flow, India is poised to lead the global discourse on sustainable river basin management and reaffirm its civilizational ethos of living in harmony with nature.