NEW DELHI: In the seemingly first such move, the Centre has started the process to assess the economic value of the Ganga basin to different sectors like agricultural, domestic, industrial, hydropower, tourism, navigation, health and public safety and is looking at monetising the economic benefits.
The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) under Union Jal Shakti ministry has called for conducting ‘Water Balance Studies for Ganga River Basin’ for assigning economic value to environmental flow, which could act as trade-off between allocation of water to commercial use and environmental flow.
According to NMCG, the idea that the economic values can be monetised and estimates established for environmental services like biodiversity and fisheries. The ministry has called for hiring a global consultant to carry the work.
The ministry’s plan is to have in place a “water accounting dynamic tool” to update the water balance for Ganga River Basin in order to optimize the economic and environmental outcomes from the available water consumed. “An assessment of the gains derived from cascading and coordinate management of water storage in reservoirs, and recommendation of protocols and systems to ensure that these are operated more efficiently leading to the higher economic productivity of available water and improved environmental flow,” the Ganga mission noted.
This comes as the Modi-led government in June 2014 launched the ‘Namami Gange’ a flagship programme with a budget outlay of Rs 20,000 crore to accomplish the twin objectives of effective abatement of pollution, conservation and rejuvenation of the holy river.
Global consultant to carry the work
According to NMCG, the idea that the economic values can be monetised and estimates established for environmental services like biodiversity and fisheries. The ministry has called for hiring a global consultant to carry the work.
Mission Clean Ganga
A total of 373 projects have been sanctioned at a cost of Rs 30,235 crore
This includes 162 projects for sewage treatment of 4948 MLD and a sewer network of 5213 kms sanctioned at a cost of Rs 24,122.70 crore, against which sewage treatment capacity of 989.50 MLD has been created so far.
About 95 projects of construction of ghats and crematorium have been sanctioned and 68 have been completed while 17 are under progress.