6^th  India   Water   Impact   Summit

The critical problem in River Resource Allocation planning, whether on large basin scales or more minor catchment scales, is accessing adequate and reliable data of the river's resources in basin and anthropogenic activities in the basin about these resources. The second major problem is that of accommodating the interests of small and marginal stakeholders such as riverbank communities and those in subsistence engagements with rivers (such as boatmen, fishers and riverbank farmers) in the resource allocation plan.

The uppermost segment of the Ganga river lies in Uttarakhand, where a multitude of Himalayan head-streams combine to form the Ganga river before it enters the alluvial plains of North India. With relatively steep slopes and narrow valleys, limited anthropogenic impacts in the catchment, freshly weathered rock sediments, and round-the-year flows, the river provides immense scope for hydro-power generation, tourism and recreation, irrigation, and sand mining, besides other ecosystem services. Availing such services, however, needs to be planned with minimal interventions to fulfil the river’s own resource needs and that of the lower stretches.

Since river resources and the consequent ecosystem services of rivers vary significantly over time and along the length of rivers, the resources need to be systematically assessed and inventorized before a comprehensive plan for river resource management can be evolved. To ensure adequate and proper resource assessment and monitoring, it is necessary to chalk out the roles and responsibilities of various government agencies and stakeholders for the purpose.

This track will give opportunities to companies from around the world to showcase their cutting-edge technologies and innovations that have the potential of making a significant positive impact in the river basin. The 2021 Summit will focus on technologies in three areas:

There is a significant correlation between agriculture and water quantity/quality in the river systems. Agricultural sector in northern India uses far more water than global averages in areas with similar conditions. This is largely to do with prevailing irrigation practices, such as type of crops, e.g. rice that use large volumes of water; dual cropping system that increases the demand on the system; inefficient irrigation practices, etc. Changing attitudes and behaviours within the farming community is not easy, therefore disruptive innovation that creates a new generation of farmers is a model that will enable shifting of the landscape and attitudes of incumbent farmers.

• How can technology innovation bring about disruption in the agricultural sector?
• What impact do water-efficient solutions have on the overall water balance of the country/region?

Instrument and Facility Case Study
cGanga and NMCG have successfully rolled out advanced agri technologies that conserve on water and deliver high quality output. A major facility is being set in partnership with a range of financing institutions.

EU and its member nations are engaged with India on multiple facets of managing water resources including but not limited to river basin planning, circular economy principles, data & information systems, energy, sustainable transportation and many others. This session will highlight the multi-faceted partnership with EU around water.

The critical problem in implementing River Resource Allocation plans, whether on large basin scales or smaller catchment scales, is that the implementation will probably be carried out by existing administrative and implementation agencies that are governed by (i) administrative jurisdictions (e.g. district and state boundaries) and (ii) existing laws and policies that may impact river resources. For instance, river resources are affected by direct anthropogenic interventions and human activities in the basin, such as land use and groundwater abstraction/ recharge, which may be covered under laws unrelated to rivers.

The upper part of the middle segment of River Ganga lies in the alluvial plains of Uttar Pradesh, where several large tributaries like the Ramganga and Yamuna enrich the river. With significant anthropogenic impacts and interventions caused by irrigation abstractions, wastewater and pollutant disposals, fishing and sand mining, the river’s ability to sustain its ecosystem and provide the best ecosystem services has been greatly jeopardized, necessitating comprehensive planning of its resource use for human services.

Selective over-exploitation of specific river resources has invariably led to the realisation of overwhelming loss of multiple river resources over extended time periods. Suitable scientific techniques can be developed that temper anthropogenic interventions for resource use with the conservation of river resources to ensure healthy river functioning and sustainable resource use simultaneously. Such measures, however, need to be implemented through suitable policies and financial actions to ensure their success.

This track will give opportunities to companies from around the world to showcase their cutting-edge technologies and innovations that have the potential of making a significant positive impact in the river basin. The 2021 Summit will focus on technologies in three areas:

For the water market to become more robust, it is important to establish not only the pricing but an efficient trading market.
• What are the necessary conditions to establish waste-water trading schemes?
• Who will the pricing and trades be regulated?
For the circular economy to enter mainstream, there must be a clear set of policy regulations, establishment of supply chain that make the economic feasibility stack up, implementation of technologies that will process and/or enable efficient material recovery and digital platforms that enable the entire value chain.
• What have been the impediments to scale-up circular economy in India?
• What are the different enabling conditions that are needed for different types of waste categories: e.g. plastics, food-waste, farm waste, tyres, construction waste, etc.
Instrument and Facility Case Study
- cGanga is developing a pilot scheme for trading between industrial off-takers and waste-water generators.
- cGanga in partnership with a number of technology companies and institutions has developed a number of high impact initiatives e.g. Tyre recycling and plastics trading facilities

The BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) are jointly running a “water resource management”. This session will focus on collaboration around knowledge sharing, capacity building and developing a training programme for students.

Australia has effectively managed water rights by creating a fair and equitable trading scheme that allows water rights to be governed and monetised. This session will focus on knowledge sharing and building a partnership around water rights management.

The lower part of the middle Ganga segment lies mostly in Bihar, where large tributaries originating from the Himalayas and Central Indian mountains swell the resource-rich river into a mighty flow. With the high silt load of its Himalayan tributaries, the Ganga and several other rivers in Bihar are a major cause for frequent floods as well as irrigation sources, commercial navigation, fishing and other benefits for human needs. The various anthropogenic needs and impacts on the river of human interventions, however, need to be integrated with the resource needs of the river itself and those of upstream and downstream reaches.

Riparian communities have intimate and long-standing connections with rivers. Given their primacy in ensuring sustainable river resource management, they need to be adequately empowered at local levels, while overall conservation measures on larger scales are overseen by governments, educational-research institutions and interested citizens. This calls for identification and empowerment of local stakeholders vis-à-vis other stakeholders for local river stretches, small rivers and waterbodies in large river basins.

This track will give opportunities to companies from around the world to showcase their cutting-edge technologies and innovations that have the potential of making a significant positive impact in the river basin. The 2021 Summit will focus on technologies in three areas:

The programme launches in providing a “generation platform” to accelerate development of the hydrogen economy using municipal solid waste to hydrogen, sewage gas to hydrogen, hydropower to hydrogen and other forms of green hydrogen. In the following decades India could require 40MT of hydrogen generation per annum. This programme will help support the National Hydrogen Mission.

Recently cGanga signed a MOU with British Water to create a bridge for UK industry to pair up with its Indian counterparts to build 21st century infrastructure in water and environment sector. The Clean Ganga Exhibition in the UK has also created a phenomenal platform and blueprint for engaging international community including the Indian diaspora to participate in and support the Clean Ganga programme. UK is also becoming a major partner to help India tap into global capital base to finance its green growth agenda. The session will put a spotlight on how the partnership is being put into action.

With rapid urbanisation in India, the need for effective management of urban water resources and treatment of wastewater is at an all-time high. The dialogue with Japan will focus on efficient management of urban water and waste-water management.

The lowermost estuarine segment of River Ganga lies in the alluvial delta of West Bengal and Bangladesh, where the river rapidly divides and subdivides, spreading across a fan-shaped alluvial deposit. Apart from the gentle slope, the river flows are affected by high and low sea tides that result in ingress and mixing of saline seawaters with the river’s freshwater flow. Irrigation, navigation, and fishing are among the many river services valued in these reaches, but the impact of various anthropogenic activities and interventions need to be tempered with the resource requirement of the upstream river and the downstream sea at the mouth of the river.

Sustainable allocation of river resource necessitates the evaluation of human resource needs and the impact of such uses on other contenders – especially of riverine organisms. Given the limited understanding of river processes and of societal perceptions and needs, a flexible approach needs to be adopted combining scientific understanding of rivers with local and regional needs and institutional strengths. Given the highly dynamic nature of rivers, a careful strategising of suitable policy planning and management is therefore imperative.

This track will give opportunities to companies from around the world to showcase their cutting-edge technologies and innovations that have the potential of making a significant positive impact in the river basin. The 2021 Summit will focus on technologies in three areas: