Environmental flow for Monsoon Rivers in India The Yamuna….pdfVIP

Environmental flow for Monsoon Rivers in India: The Yamuna River as a case study 1Vikram Soni, 2Shashank Shekhar, 3Diwan Singh 1. Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi. Email: vsoni.physics@ 2. Department of Geology, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007. Email: shashankshekhar01@ 3. Natural Heritage First, B 49 A , Vasant Vihar, New Delhi -110057 Email: diwans2007@gmail .com Keywords: environmental flow, Yamuna, Delhi, flushing flow, algal choking. Abstract We consider the flows of Monsoon Rivers in India that will permit the river to perform all its natural functions. About 80% of the total flow for Indian rivers is during the monsoon and the remaining 20% is during the non monsoon period. By carrying out a case study of the river Yamuna in Delhi we find that at least 50% of the virgin monsoon (July to September) flow is required for the transport of the full spectrum of soil particles in the river sediment. A similar flow is needed for adequate recharge of the floodplain aquifers along river. For the non monsoon period (October to June) about 60% of the virgin flow is necessary to avoid the growth of still water algae and to support river biodiversity . Introduction The river, its catchments, basin and flood plains is a water course made by nature over an evolutionary timescale of tens of millions of years, which once damaged, often, cannot be fully reclaimed. Rivers in India are now overdrawn, silted and polluted. The health of the river system, then, becomes a priority. Indian rivers are Monsoon Rivers which have deep and wide floodplain aquifers that run for thousands of kilometers and are an enormous natural storage for water (Soni et al. 2009, 2013). They get recharged by the river flow and floods, especially during the monsoon. They feed groundwater aquifers in their environs. Given