Uttar Pradesh to release 2,500 cusec of water in Ganga
In a bid to manage the pollution level in the Ganga, the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to release 2,500 cusec of water in the river.
UP irrigation minister Dharampal Singh said the move will ensure enough water in the river that will help in maintaining continuos flow of water in the Ganga. The minister, who held a meeting with the UP irrigation officials on Sunday, said 600 cusec water is released in the Ganga which is not sufficient for maintaining the eco-system.
“Our government is committed to clean the Ganga. We have taken a decision to increase water level of the Ganga from the Bheemgoda barrage,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the meeting.
The Bheemgoda barrage in Haridwar is controlled by the UP irrigation department. It is the main channel that controls the water supply in the east and upper Ganga canals.
Currently, 11,000 cusec water is released in the upper Ganga canal, while only 1,000 cusec of water is released in the east canal from this barrage.
The decision to release more water in the upper canal will means less water to Delhi and also to farmers in the western Uttar Pradesh.
Officials accepted they will have tough time in dealing with the situation. “We have only 600 cusec water for the Ganga but after this decision, we will arrange extra water from both the canals. East canal will be shut down to save 1,000 cusec of water,” said CB Yadav executive engineer of UP Irrigation department. “We will also cut around 1,500 cusec water from the upper canal to maintain 2,500 cusec of water in the Ganga. Delhi will get 500 cusec water from the upper Ganga canal. It is mandatory but we’ll cut extra supply from other minor canals.” Meanwhile, the minister also proposed to rename the VIP Ghat in Haridwar as the Shankracharya Ghat.