Assessing the environmental flows for Kumbh Mela- 2013 at Triveni Sangam, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh- A document by World Wildlife Fund India

This document by the World Wildlife Fund India, is on the rapid assessment done on the Environmental Flows(E-Flows) for Kumbh Mela that is taking place in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh.

Kumbh Mela is one of the biggest socio-cultural events that take place in North India where millions of cultural tourists and pilgrims visit the Triveni Sangam- the place where three rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati meet and take a holy dip for satisfaction of their spiritual aspirations. Through this event the Government of Uttar Pradesh to place itself as a pioneer on the world map for its efforts in restoring Environmental Flows for the welfare of people and nature.

Environmental flows are defined as the flows required for the maintenance of the ecological integrity of rivers, their associated ecosystems, and the goods and services provided by them. The main question that comes up is “How much flow in the river Ganga will meet the socio-cultural aspirations of the people during Kumbh 2013?” For this purpose a scientific assessment of E-Flows is required. In this context, World Wildlife Fund India, decided to conduct a rapid assessment of E-Flows for Kumbh 2013 at Allahabad. The study conducted aimed to contribute to the state government’s efforts to ensure a clean Kumbh. The assessment was done by using Building Block Methodology by a multidisciplinary team hailing from various organizations.

Click here to access the full document.