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Memorandum of Agreement between

Indian Institutes of Technology [Bombay, Delhi, Guwahati, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Madras and Roorkee]

and

Ministry of Environment and Forests Government of India

for preparation of the Ganga River Basin Management Plan

1. Preamble

The river Ganga is of unique importance ascribed to reasons that are geographical, historical, socio-cultural and economic, giving it the status of a National River. It has been facing serious threat due to discharge of increasing quantities of sewage effluents, trade effluents and other pollutants on account of rapid urbanization, industrialization and agricultural growth.

The challenge is compounded due to competing demands for river water for irrigation, domestic purposes, industrial use and power.

There is need to ensure effective abatement of pollution and conservation of the river Ganga by adopting a river basin approach to promote inter-sectorial coordination for comprehensive planning and management. It is equally important to maintain minimum ecological flows in river Ganga with the aim of ensuring water quality through environmentally sustainable development.

In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-sections (1) and (3) of Section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (29 of 1986), the Central Government has constituted National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) as a planning, financing, monitoring and

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coordinating authority for strengthening the collective efforts of the Central and State Government for effective abatement of pollution and conservation of the river Ganga.

One of the important functions of the NGRBA is to prepare and implement a Ganga River Basin Management Plan (GRBMP).

It is proposed to develop the GRBMP based on scientific application of modern tools and technologies combined with traditional wisdom. It has been decided that the GRBMP be prepared jointly by the seven Indian Institutes of Technology’s (IITs) namely IITs at Bombay, Delhi, Guwahati, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Madras and Roorkee. This will help leverage the vast knowledge base and experience of IITs in the fields of environment, water resources, ecology & bio-diversity, system integration, etc. The consortium will take up this project in the manner of a Technology Development Mission.

2. Objectives of the GRBMP The objective of the integrated river basin management plan will be maintenance and restoration of wholesomeness of the Ganga system and improvement of its ecological health with due regard to resolution of conflict of interest in water uses in the entire river basin. This entails preparation of a Plan that has adequate provision for soil, water and energy conservation to accommodate growing population, urbanization, industrialization and agriculture while ensuring that the following fundamental aspects of the river system are protected:

a) Continuous flow (Aivarla Qaara), b) Un-Polluted flow (inama-la Qaara), c) Longitudinal and lateral connectivity, d) Adequate space for various river functions, and e) Function as an ecological entity.

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3. Deliverables of the Project

The Ganga River Basin Management Plan would provide action plans with specific projects to be taken up, policy interventions and management actions along with financial implications. A number of intermediate reports will be prepared containing actionable projects and concrete proposals. Intermediate reports would include status reports and simulated future scenarios on various aspects of the Ganga Basin with atlases, databases, modeling tools, etc. These will broadly include surface and ground water resources, ecological resources, river flows; pollutant loads- point and non-point, domestic and industrial, toxic and hazardous; cultural, livelihood, agricultural and urbanization.

The Mission on Restoration of the River Ganga will comprise of several subject specific Sub-missions. The details of Sub-missions will be worked out and would include interventions for implementation in a phased manner delineating short term, medium term and long term measures. These would contain financial, social, economical and environmental implications including measurable and verifiable indicators for ascertaining beneficial and positive impact on Ganga System.

4. Time Frame of the Project The Basin Management Plan will be rolling and dynamic in nature and would identify projects to be undertaken, policy interventions required and non-project investments. The preparation of the first phase of the Plan will be completed within a period of 18 months from the date of signing of this agreement. Endeavor will be made to complete the work in 12 months.

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5. Duties & Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of different institutions will be broadly as under:

IITs: IITs will nominate faculty members and scientific/ technical staff for accomplishing the task within the stipulated period. They will also utilize their infrastructure and facilities such as laboratories as per requirement on a payment basis. At least one senior level faculty member from each IIT will be nominated to the team on full time basis. IITs will deploy suitable M. Tech / Ph. D students in the project. This would help develop a pool of talented and well qualified scientists in the field of river conservation. They would prepare detailed time frames for various interim and final deliverables and ensure that agreed time frames are adhered to.

As the coordinating institute, IIT Kanpur would be responsible for notifying the required actions, achieving and monitoring progress to ensure deliverables within the prescribed time frame. It would ensure setting up of Project Management Board (PMB) and Project Implementation and Coordination Committee (PICC). The PMB will include members from all participating IITs. The PICC will include thematic group leaders and others chosen in such a way that it will necessarily have representation from each of the seven IITs. Coordinating institute would receive funds from MoEF and disburse to other IITs/institutes/universities and act as the nodal institute for all interactions, correspondence and organizing meetings with MoEF.

MoEF: MoEF will nominate officers to participate in meetings, workshops and execution of various tasks/events. It will provide administrative

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support for obtaining information/secondary data for the purpose of development of databases, maps, atlases, etc. MoEF will also help provide the IITs with relevant documents, reports, data, and facilitate the ministries and departments of central and state governments. It will extend assistance to and liaise with the PICC regularly for expediting progress of the project, coordination with relevant government departments/organizations/national laboratories/institutions and other agencies. MoEF will release grants to IITs from time to time based on requirement and demands and to coordinate any other aspects and actions connected with the project.

6. Disbursement of Financial Resources MoEF will release funds for the project to IIT Kanpur who will be responsible for disbursement of funds to other participating institutes. Other participating institutes will submit Utilization Certificate (UC) to IIT Kanpur. IIT Kanpur will submit consolidated UC to MoEF and place fresh demand for grant.

7. Project Monitoring There will be a Project Management Board (PMB) to oversee the work of the IITs. The PMB will have representation from all seven IITs and include other eminent persons. In addition, the IITs and MoEF may constitute a Joint Committee for review of progress of various tasks. The information for the meetings, agenda papers and circulation of progress report, etc. will be provided by the Project Coordinator. Professor Vinod Tare, IIT Kanpur will work as the Project Coordinator.

8. Duration of the Project The preparation of first phase of Ganga River Basin Management Plan (GRBMP) will be completed within a time period of 18 months.

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It would be the endeavor of all the IITs to complete the project within a time period of 12 months.

9. Completion of Project

The project shall be considered to have been successfully completed when the deliverables of the project are completed and accepted by the MoEF.

10. Duration of the Agreement The duration of this MoA will be for a period of 10 years from the date of its signing. This period includes time beyond the submission of GRBMP and covers the period for the Plan.

11. Modifications to the Agreement

The agreement including its duration can be modified based on needs and through mutual consent of all the IITs and the MoEF.

12. Seal of Parties

The parties have signed this agreement on the 6th day of July, 2010.