A comprehensive review on the quality and quantity assessment of the Narmada River of India: Current status, technological advancement, efforts and initiatives, challenges, and future outlook.

This comprehensive review examines the current status of the Narmada River in India, focusing on the quality and quantity of its water resources. The primary objectives are to assess existing technological advancements, ongoing efforts and initiatives, and challenges, and provide a future outlook for sustainable river management. The Narmada River faces significant water quality and quantity challenges, primarily because of pollution from various sources and increasing water demand. The status of the river is a cause of concern, and monitoring is essential for informed decision‐making. Various technical options are available for monitoring, analysis, and data evaluation, ranging from conventional methods to cutting‐edge technologies. These include DNA barcoding and sequencing, geographic assessment tools, data mining software, geoinformatics, and statistical modeling instruments. This review underscores the alarming levels of environmental pollution in the Narmada River, highlights the feasibility of using advanced techniques to assess water quality, identify pollutants, and develop mitigation strategies. This review identifies research gaps related to the integration of advanced technologies, comprehensive water quality modeling, and the development of holistic management strategies. The review concludes with recommendations for integrating advanced monitoring technologies, policy reforms, and increasing public awareness. In conclusion, the Narmada River faces significant challenges in terms of water quality and quantity. While efforts are being made to address these challenges, a multidisciplinary and integrated approach, along with the adoption of advanced technologies, is crucial for the river's long‐term health and the well‐being of the communities that depend on it. Practitioner Points: Highlight the challenges faced by the Narmada River in India concerning both water quality and quantity;Provided insights into the wide range of technological advancements available for monitoring and assessment;Emphasized the alarming levels of pollution and explores the feasibility of using advanced techniques;Discussed various efforts and initiatives aimed at improving the quality and quantity of water resources;Provided recommendations for integrating advanced technologies, policy reforms, and increasing public awareness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]