Religious heads to discuss bill on Ganga

The Central government had already declared Ganga as the national river and constituted National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) to address issues related to the holy river. Ganga Mahasabha has come up with a draft, proposing enactment of National River Ganga (Conservation and Management) Act-2012.

After toiling for months, the bill drafting committee head by Justice(Retd) Giridhar Malviya prepared a 14-page draft.

"The Ganga Mahasabha is going to hold a meeting of religious leaders of different faiths to discuss the drafted bill at NDMC convention hall near Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on November 21," said Acharya Jitendra, general secretary of Ganga Mahasabha. This organisation is committed for clean and unobstructed flow of Ganga.The letters and copies of the drafted bill are being sent to the religious leaders across the country, including Shankaracharya. After discussion, the draft will be submitted to the Central government to get it passed by the Parliament, he said.

"Though Ganga has been classified as the national river but it is yet to get the constitutional status. For this, there is a need of enactment of law by parliament," said Acharya, adding that taking an initiative in this regard, Ganga Mahasabha prepared the draft of the proposed Act with the help of noted persons from judiciary, environmentalists and scientists.

Justice (Retd) Malviya is the chairman of the bill drafting committee while other members are Swami Gyan Swaroop Sanand (noted environmentalist GD Agrawal), Justice (Retd) SS Kulshrestha, MC Mehta, lawyer, Supreme Court, Paritosh Tyagi, former chairman, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Arun Kumar Gupta, lawyer, High Court, Allahabad, Santosh Kumar, lawyer, Supreme Court and Govind Sharma, general secretary, Ganga Mahasabha.

The draft specifies that the very special features and unique status of the sacred Ganga in the culture and daily lives is recognised and river is at the very foundation and core of civilization. It is the best internationally known identity of Indian nation. Recognising the special place, the Union of India had designated Ganga as the national river and constituted National Ganga River Basin Authority for certain aspects of its management, under the Environmental Protection Act-1986. The instruments and arrangements made for this purpose have not proved adequate to render Ganga the special consideration as a national symbol, unique entity and cultural heritage, in the face of pressures from growing populations as also aspirations for economic, industrial, urban and other developments.

The chapter 1 of the draft covers title, coverage, basic regulations and definitions. The Act shall be titled as the National River Gangaji (Conservation and Management) Act of 2012 (NRGA in short). The chapter 2 outlines the national and state authorities for Ganga, including the constitution of National River Ganga Authority (NGRA), an apex body at national level and State Ganga Boards (SGBs) at state level.

The chapter 3 explains the field implementation of the exercises for restoration, conservation and protection of the holy river, keeping in mind that Ganga is not just a common property but a divine entity and nobody, not even governments can be allowed to exploit and misuse it or its contents.

The chapter 4 specifies the offenses in respect of breach/contravention of the objectives/provisions of this Act and the penalties/punishment for these, while Chapter 5 speaks about miscellaneous things like funds and power to make rules.

The enactment of the Act is essential as the existing arrangements for the protection and conservation of the holy river failed to serve the purpose, said Acharya, adding that despite spending crores of rupees, no improvement was noticed in the health of Ganga, rather its condition continued to deteriorate.

Spiritual India, rich in holy places, traditions and rituals, offers much for those seeking knowledge and awareness. Visit these popular sacred destinations to maximize your spiritual experience in India.

Prefer to go on a tour rather than travel independently? This 14 day Spiritual India tour from G Adventures may be for you!

1. Haridwar

Ancient Haridwar (the "Gateway to God") is one of the seven holiest places in India, and one of the oldest living cities. Located at the foothills of the Himalayas in Uttarakhand, it's particularly popular with Hindu pilgrims who come to take a dip in the holy waters of the fast flowing Ganges River and wash away their sins. Unlike Varanasi, the water is clean and fresh in Haridwar. The evening Ganga Aarti holds special appeal.

• Hardiwar Travel Guide
• Top 5 Haridwar Hotels
• How to Visit Mansa Devi Temple in Haridwar
• Should You Visit Haridwar or Rishikesh?
• How to Get from Haridwar to Rishikesh

2. Varanasi

Varanasi, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, is another of the seven sacred Hindu cities with a very old history. Known as the city of Lord Shiva, the god of creation and destruction, it’s believed that anyone who dies here will be liberated from the cycle of reincarnation.  The fascinating thing about this mystical city is that its rituals are revealed openly to along the many riverside ghats. It's an intense city that attracts Hindu pilgrims and foreigners alike.

• Varanasi Travel Guide
• Top 5 Riverside Hotels in Varanasi
• Varanasi Ghat Guide
• How to See the Varanasi Ganga Aarti

3. Bodhgaya

Bodhgaya is the most important Buddhist pilgrimage place in the world. Located in the state of Bihar, it’s here that Lord Buddha became enlightened during intense meditation under a Bodhi tree. The exact spot is now marked by the sprawling Mahabodhi Temple complex. The town is also home to dozens of Buddhist monasteries. Those who are interested will find plenty of meditation and Buddhism courses and retreats on offer.

• Bodhgaya Travel Guide
• Review of Mahabodhi Temple Bodh Gaya
• Visit Bodhgaya on the Mahaparinirvan Express Buddhist Train

4. Rishikesh

Rishikesh, the birthplace of yoga, is a popular place to come and meditate, do yoga, and learn about other aspects of Hinduism. It’s situated on the banks of the Ganges River, surrounded by hills on three sides, not far from Haridwar in Uttarakhand. Rishikesh lures those seeking knowledge and peace with its numerous ashrams and yoga institutes. It's particularly popular with spiritual seeking foreigners, while Haridwar holds more significance for Hindu pilgrims.

• Rishikesh Travel Guide
• 5 Rishikesh Hotels with a Difference
• How to See the Rishikesh Ganga Aarti
• Study Yoga at the Parmarth Niketan Ashram in Rishikesh

5. Amritsar

Amritsar was founded in 1577 by Guru Ram Das, the fourth guru of Sikhs. It’s the spiritual capital of the Sikhs and gained its name, meaning "Holy Pool of Nectar", from the body of water around the Golden Temple. The exquisite Golden Temple attracts pilgrims from all over the world. It looks particularly arresting at night when it’s beautifully lit up, with its imposing pure gold dome illuminated.

Cow poaching in Holy city Varanasi

Cow poaching in Holy city Varanasi : Varanasi is considered as a holy city, the city of lord Shiva and Nandi. Now these days, this city has  become a butchering place for cow traders, In this so called profitable business  some big names were involved , who were considered themselves as a Dharmatma  of city, basically these big names are businessman and they sell cow for butchering, skin  of cow, calf leather , bones of dead cow,etc.  

Retrain engineers, not the Ganga

Hydropower is important. But how important? Is it important enough to dry out stretches of our rivers? Or is there a way to balance energy needs with the imperative of a flowing, healthy river?

I have been grappling with these issues for the past few months. But now that the committee (of which I was a member) on the hydropower projects on the Ganga has submitted its report, let me explain how I see the way ahead.

Hydropower is important. But how important? Is it important enough to dry out stretches of our rivers? Or is there a way to balance energy needs with the imperative of a flowing, healthy river?

I have been grappling with these issues for the past few months. But now that the committee (of which I was a member) on the hydropower projects on the Ganga has submitted its report, let me explain how I see the way ahead.

The Ganga in the upper reaches has been an engineer's playground. The Central Electricity Authority and the Uttarakhand power department have estimated the river's hydroelectric potential at some 9,000 MW and planned 70-odd projects on its tributaries. In building these projects, the key tributaries would be modified - through diversion to tunnels or reservoirs - to such an extent that 80 per cent of the Bhagirathi and 65 per cent of the Alaknanda could be "affected".

Most of the proposed projects are run-of-the-river schemes, which are seemingly benevolent compared to large reservoirs and dams - only if the project is carefully crafted to ensure that the river remains a river and does not turn into an engineered drain.

Many projects were planned and were being carried out along the Ganga so that one project would divert water from the river, channel it to the point where energy would be generated and then discharge it back into the river. But the next project would be built even before the river could regain its flow. So, the river would simply, and tragically, dry up over entire stretches.

Energy generation was the driver - indeed, the only obsession. The plan was based on using up all the water in the dry season to produce energy. In this way, the river would have stopped being a river. It would have become one massive dam. It would have died.

In the committee, we discussed various options for ecological flow (e-flow) - why and how much should be left in the river for needs other than energy. The hydropower engineers argued for 10 per cent ecological flow, which they said they could "accommodate" in project design without huge loss of energy generation. The Wildlife Institute of India, commissioned to look at ecosystem and fish biodiversity needs, suggested between 20 per cent and 30 per cent e-flow in different seasons.

I said this was inadequate. In most stretches, the lean flow (from November to April) was less than 10 per cent of the high monsoon flow. Leaving just 30 per cent would mean a trickle. It was not acceptable. I proposed 50 per cent e-flow at all times. But, clearly, this was unacceptable to the other side - completely and absolutely.

My colleagues at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) decided to do some number crunching. The committee had been provided, on repeated requests, hydrological data of 24 constructed and proposed projects. My colleagues took these data and analysed the impact on energy generation and tariff in different e-flow regimes. They found that in the 50 per cent e-flow scenario there was substantial impact on the amount of energy generated and, therefore, on the tariff. But if we modified this a little and provided for a little extra water for energy generation in the high-discharge season, but kept the 50 per cent e-flow for the lean season, the results changed dramatically.

In this case, the reduction in energy generation was not substantial. Therefore, tariffs were comparable. The reason was simple: the projects actually did not generate much energy in the lean season. The plant load factor, project after project, showed that even in the unrestricted scenario (e-flow of 10 per cent or less) there was no water to produce energy in the lean season. We suggested that mimicking river flow was the best way to optimise energy generation. The river had enough to give us, but only if we put the river first and our needs next.

Based on this, our proposal was to provide 30 per cent e-flow for six months (May to October) and 50 per cent for six months (November to April). But, as expected, this analysis did not suit the hydropower side. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee, also a member of the committee, was asked to review the analysis.

The games started. IIT-Roorkee, represented by its Alternative Hydro Energy Centre, disputed our conclusions. We asked why? No data were provided on the method of estimation. But hidden in the background sheets provided by IIT-Roorkee were data from two projects of hydrological flow used to disprove our figures. We checked. We found, to our shock, that figures of flow had been modified; suddenly there was no water in the river in the first place, so a higher e-flow regime would naturally mean lower energy generation. We checked again. We found that even levelised tariff figures had been "changed" from what was provided earlier to the committee.

A round of data contest began. In my next article, I will tell you how the matter was resolved (or not). But let me leave you with this thought: rivers should not be trained; it's Indian hydropower engineers who need retraining.