ANNOUNCEMENTS
The concept of managed river flow is gaining importance worldwide. It initially started as the concept of restricted or minimum flow in rivers, but has evolved into managed river flow that considers the variations in the flow regime as an integral aspect for the maintenance of river health. The issue has recently come into spotlight in India. The current study aims to assess the impact of restricted flow in the river stretch because of a hydropower project. This project involves the Rampur Hydroelectric Project (RHEP), a run-of-river project on Satluj in Himachal Pradesh that will utilize the water from the tail race outfall of an upstream project, Nathpa-Jhakri Hydroelectric Project (NJHEP). The running of RHEP will involve the diversion of water at Jhakri. Thus there will be restricted flow in the river downstream of Jhakri till the point where the water is again being released in the river at Bael. The discharge in this affected stretch will be significantly less during the lean season. What impacts will such a restricted flow have on the river health and the human settlements in the study area? Will the flow be sufficient or is there a need to manage the flow in the stretch? What are the measures that the project implementing agency should take to minimize any negative impacts that can be anticipated from the change in flow regime? These are the questions that the project attempts to answer. It focuses on impacts on the flow regime, water use and quality, aquatic ecology (with emphasis on fisheries) and the disease profile in the study area.
