A panel of scientists from India and the European Union will study the environmental flow (e-flow) of Kerala's Bharathappuzha. This is a pilot project to prepare methodology to assess e-flow in other rivers across the country.
Bharathappuzha is Kerala’s second-longest river. Originating in the Anamalai hills in Tamil Nadu in the Western Ghats, it flows 209 km through Kerala before joining the Arabian Sea.
Apart from Bharathappuzha, the study will be conducted in two other rivers - Ramganga that flows through Uttarakhand and Mahanadi that runs through Chhattisgarh and Odisha. The three rivers flow through three different hydro-climatic regions. Bharathappuzha originates in the Western Ghats, Ramganga is a perennial Himalayan river while Mahanadi delta is a Peninsular river.
Environmental flow assessments are used to estimate the quantity and timing of flows required to sustain identified aquatic values in riverine environments. The assessment results are used to make decisions on water management.
Announcing the project, Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh said e-flow is for the development of storage and flow diversion schemes in order to maintain the aquatic ecosystems in a healthy state and their sustainability. "It is jointly assessed for critical stretches in 3 river basins - Ramganga, Mahanadi and Bharathapuzha," he tweeted.
Uninterrupted water flow keeps rivers organically alive to support aquatic lives and perform its natural ecological functions.
The decision to study e-flow comes in the wake of the Centre setting up a national framework to monitor e-flows and ensure that minimum flow of water is maintained round-the-year.
