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NEW DELHI: Providing an impetus to technology-driven river rejuvenation and pollution abatement measures, the Uttar Pradesh govt, in coordination with central agencies, has completed high-resolution aerial surveys of areas along the Ganga main stem in the state, generating precise geospatial datasets that are being integrated into a live GIS-based drain dashboard for round-the-clock monitoring.The dashboard with 2D and 3D visualisation capabilities enables basin-level pollution monitoring, identification of hotspots and prioritisation of drain remediation measures. This is the first-of-its-kind initiative where LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) based scientific data has been coupled with visual data generated through drone surveys.LiDAR, an active remote sensing technique, and drone surveys have been used to identify all drains discharging into the river, enabling a comprehensive response to drainage-related challenges through enhanced surveillance of sewage treatment infrastructure.The progress and deployment of such technology in the Ganga river basin was reviewed at a meeting chaired by Union Jal Shakti minister C R Paatil on Monday.The meeting also saw stress being laid on the importance of reuse of treated wastewater, adoption of innovative and research-based solutions such as ‘aquifer mapping’ with a focus on Paleo-Channels, as well as initiatives relating to bioremediation and innovative sewage treatment projects and centralised effluent treatment plants. Paatil directed all states to expeditiously formulate the policy for safe reuse of treated water, in alignment with the national framework. The review exercise also emphasised promotion of reuse of treated water in states with clearly prescribed targets and an enabling environment through notification of policy provisions.Meanwhile, the National Mission for Clean Ganga — a central nodal agency for implementation of the Ganga rejuvenation programme — is introducing CCTV-based real-time monitoring systems. This will be integrated with an AI-enabled feature extraction system and a centralised dashboard to further enhance the monitoring and compliance framework of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs).STPs are currently being comprehensively monitored through Online Continuous Effluent Monitoring Systems (OCEMS) which track key water quality parameters such as BOD, COD, DO, pH and TSS. “The new initiative will add a critical layer of physical and visual monitoring to address concerns related to effective operation of STPs,” said an official.
