Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The Central government has now asked IIT-Indore to come up with a management plan for the 98,796 sq. km widespread Narmada River basin, after its successful role in Ganga River Basin Management Plan.
In accordance with the MoU signed with the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, IIT Indore in collaboration with IIT Gandhinagar will carry out extensively study on Narmada River basin.
IIT Indore faculty member Prof Manish K Goyal said, "IIT Indore will provide detailed water budget report and identify sediment-contaminated regions and erosion hotspots. Detection and prediction of the flood-prone area and suggesting measures for assessing and sustaining the aquatic biodiversity in the region will be focussed upon."
"Detailed analysis of the soil, rock, and water quality availability in the region will be done. The Institute will provide a proper sewerage and drainage network plan and sanitation mapping. potential of integrated solid waste management practices and viability of sustainable biological treatment techniques will be explored," he added.
Following the success of the Ganga River Basin Management Plan framed by a consortium of seven IITs led by IIT Kanpur, the Government of India signed agreements with different technical institutes for preparing the outlines of river basin management plans for the Narmada, Godavari, Krishna, Cauvery, Periyar, and Mahanadi.
The agreement has been made between the Ministry of Jal Shakti and 12 academic institutions (different IITs, NITs, and NEERI) under the National River Conservation Directorate (NRCD) Plan.
The Mahanadi River basin will be studied by NIT Raipur and NIT Rourkela. The Godavari River basin will be studied by IIT Hyderabad and NEERI Nagpur. The Cauvery River basin will be studied by IISc Bengaluru and NIT Trichy. Lastly, the Periyar River basin will be managed by IIT Palakkad and NIT Calicut.
The NRCD's initiative to undertake the study on Condition Assessment & Management Plan (CAMP) for these six river basins is a significant step towards cleanliness of rivers. This marks the beginning of a new era in river basin management and the holistic approach India has taken in addressing water-related issues, citing initiatives related to drinking water, river cleaning, and groundwater recharge as among the largest globally. Towards this, it is important that the academia and government works together for river basin management.
