Dams may dry up Ganga, warns ministerial group

Recognizing that the plethora of dams built and planned in the Ganga basin could almost empty the river of its waters in the winter season, an inter-ministerial group has recommended that the projects be reengineered to maintain 30-50 percent of water flow in the lean period of December- March.

The group headed by Planning Commission member BK Chaturvedi also recommended that electricity production in the existing and upcoming dams on the river’s tributaries in Uttarkhand be moderated marginally to ensure that water flow is maintained at 25 percent between April to October- the period when the river has average or high water levels.

While keeping the ecological flow in the river at these levels the government could permit the dams already working or in the pipeline to continue after re-designing to ensure the recommended flow of water in the river.