Lucknow :

The ailing Gomti will have a healthy flow at least for next four days, thanks to the national junior rowing championship which began in the city on Wednesday.

To maintain a suitable water level for the sporting event, the state irrigation department has released additional 100 cusecs water into the river. The current level of the river, which varies from eight to nine feet between right and left banks, has considerably gone up after release of 100 cusecs water. It will also reduce pollution in the river water.

The rowing competition could not have taken place unless extra water was pumped into the river, which has only 40% of its ecological flow.

Officials said 100 cusecs water is more than sufficient to maintain the water level for the four-day national event which will conclude on Saturday. “We will ensure that the level is maintained throughout the event,” said executive engineer, Sharda canal, Roop Singh Yadav.

“The volume means not only will the river sufficiently regain its ecological flow but will also have extra level of water needed for the sport,” said assistant professor, school for environmental sciences, Baba Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Venkatesh Dutta.

Officials in UP Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) said a healthy river should have Dissolved Oxygen (DO) not less than 4 mg/litre. The Gomti, at several points between Gaughat and Gomti barrage, has no or very low level of DO. “100 cusecs mean the level of DO will increase by an average 1 mg/litre,” said regional officer, UPPCB, Kuldeep Mishra.

A healthy river should not have more than 3mg/litre of Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD). High count of bacteria in the Gomti water sucks more oxygen and that increases BOD in the river water to 18 to 20 mg/litre at several points, mainly in downstream.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / TNN / November 13th, 2014