A consolidated reply of experiences and examples shared by various members of the Solution Exchange Water Community
From V. Kurien Baby, Government of Kerala, Thrissur, Kerala
Posted 03 December 2009
A number of major rivers and numerous tributaries make up the river systems of India . Rivers sustain life, civilization, culture and economic growth. They are also considered as holy and form an integral part of our religious beliefs. However, our rivers, inter alia are facing serious challenges of un-sustainability, over draft, pollution at an alarming rate, encroachments/ destruction of river beds and over exploitation of resources like sand. Now that climate change has also become a reality our river systems are increasingly being threatened.
A series of conservation efforts are being made to protect rivers, enforce laws and create institutional structures such as River Basin Authorities. However the pace is slow and at this rate our rivers will face silent death.
In this context, it is proposed to launch a national movement, to design a National River Action Framework (NRAF) to: (a) conserve and sustain river basins; (b) ensure minimum flows in rivers; (c) protect rivers from pollution; (d) prepare and implement scientific and holistic river basin plans for all river basins in India and (e) design institutional structures for sustainable management.
NRAF will be a creative network linking all those who use water and are willing to rally around the cause for sustainable management of rivers in the country, thereby building an action framework and analytical advocacy for conservation. This will help to build and integrate India and our common future through networking of people living around river basins. Ideally, the movement would be a fusion of history, culture, traditions, myths and scientific issues of sustainability.
A meeting on NRAF to design and conceptualize the model and the roadmap towards realizing the goals along with a strategic framework is being organized on 7 December 2009 at Thrissur, Kerala. The meeting will be chaired by the Waterman of India, the Magsaysay Award Winner Rajendra Singh.
Towards this end, I request members of the Water Community to urgently provide inputs on:
- Are there any regional or local experiences of river basin planning and management and what are the lessons learnt?
- How can we concretize the NRAF framework? Please provide specific inputs with regards to essential components to be included in the action plan and the institutional structures required.
- Which are the organizations and resource persons that have been involved in river basin planning? Please provide details.
Your inputs will be valuable in guiding the discussions during the meeting on the NRAF on 7 December 2009 and will help us to channel the movement forward.
Responses were received, with thanks, from
1. Saurabh Singh, Inner Voice Foundation, Ballia, Uttar Pradesh
2. B C Choudhury, Wildlife Institute of India , Dehradoon
3. Rakesh. K. N., Maithri, Kerala
4. Manish Kumar, Krishi Gram Yuva Vikas Samiti, Bihar
5. Rahul Banerjee, Khedut Mazdoor Chetna Sangath, Indore
6. A K Singh, Nirma University , Ahmedabad
7. Anjal Prakash, SaciWATERs, Hyderabad
8. Arunabha Majumder, Jadavpur University , Kolkata
9. Dinesh Kumar, Institute of Resource Analysis and Policy, Andhra Pradesh (Response 1) (Response 2)
10. Ramakrishna Nallathiga, Centre for Good Governance, Andhra Pradesh (Response 1) (Response 2)
11. Himanshu Thakkar, South Asia Network for Dams Rivers and People, New Delhi
12. Pathak Kripal, National Horticulture Mission , Ministry of Agriculture, New Delhi
13. Dilip Deshpande, NABARD, Mumbai
14. Asit Nema, Foundation for Greentech Environmental Systems, New Delhi
15. V. Kurien Baby 1, Government of Kerala, Thrissur
16. A. Rajagopal, SaciWaters, Chennai
Further contributions are welcome!
India ’s rivers are central to its civilization. All major towns situated along a river, that have provided them water, livelihoods and food for decades, if not centuries. The same rivers have also been exploited; sand for building comes from the river beds, the floodplains become market gardens or makeshift residential areas and of course, towns discharge largely untreated sewage into the river. These rivers provide water for irrigation and power generation as well. In the process, all of India ’s rivers are polluted, encroached and exploited in varying degrees.
Much of this has to do with how rivers are managed. The government views them through different lenses – water for irrigation, water for drinking, water for power, flood control, etc. Very recently, people working on river ecosystems have also realized the need for maintaining ecological flows in rivers. Thus, rivers are not just to be exploited, but managed. The Government of India is setting up river basin authorities for this purpose; it has constituted one for the River Ganga.
While there appear to be no instances of river basin planning and management in India , there are several studies on river management in different stages of completion. River management has to take a basin-level integrated approach that considers the needs of water users and the environment. The field of water resource development and governance in India ’s river basins is still new and research designs and methodologies are still evolving. It is possible to use a modified framework based on integrated water resources management (IWRM) for the purpose. To develop this, an agency has to assess the status of natural resources, sustainability of use and their use.
A study of the River Man in Madhya Pradesh has examined the rainfall data, the crop patterns, water availability and demand by different sectors, as well as the impact of building the Man dam. From this, it emerges that a critical estimation of water availability and use is needed for future planning in the basin. Additionally, the Indian Space Research Organisation is studying at flood forecasting and warning in the lower Tapi basin.
A WaterAid India-supported consortium of organizations analysed IWRM in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh a few years back. This showed the lack of an integrated approach for water use. While watershed programmes have improved crop yield, drinking water continues to be a problem. Subsequently at workshop, participants presented several case studies. One concerned the River Meghal in Gujarat, and it showed the Aga Khan Rural Support Program for India pioneered a river-basin approach that has had positive results. The Indian Natural Resource Economics and Management Foundation studied the River Sabarmati, one of several on the river.
In Rajasthan, Society for Promoting Participative Ecosystem Management studied 15 small harvesting structures in the Jaisamand catchment area. It established the relationship between rainfall data and inflows into the Jaisamand lake. The study highlighted the following problems in the catchment: degraded grazing lands and forests in a third of the area, and conflicts over sand extraction between the mining lobby and local farmers. Another study examined the traditional water harvesting structures in the River Kak basin near Jaisalmer and the impact of mining and migration.
The Government of Kerala sponsored a study of integrated water management of the River Bharathapuzha by the International Water Management Institute – Tata water policy programme.
There are ingredients from these studies that can go into concretizing the National River Action Framework (NRAF). In order of priority, the studies have pointed have to the importance of including river-linked livelihoods in the Framework. This is critical from the point of involving local communities, and in turn, this decides the success or failure of most schemes. River flows, as measured during different seasons across several years, is another important component. Similarly, rainfall data through the year is another important parameter. The quantity and quality of pollutants, both solid and liquid, as well as their causes, are a third factor. They have also suggested an assessment of the catchment areas in the basin.
The studies also indicate the need to consider the status of groundwater resources in the river basin. This data can be hard to come by but is vital to asses the total water availability. It is also necessary as groundwater meets a large part of the need for drinking and irrigation water. The Framework can consider the links between rainfall, groundwater recharge and surface water resources. The studies have also indicated the need to assess the status of other natural resources, including forests, grasslands and wastelands, as well as mining. There is need to consider the biodiversity as well.
The ‘Indian IWRM’ paradigm suggests the need for a demographic analysis of the population living in the river basin concerned. In a peculiarly Indian context, this can include the caste breakup in addition to the regular information on occupation, gender, age and income. This ties in with the livelihoods aspect. Again in an Indian context, the Framework can include traditional water management structures in the basin.
Irrigation systems have impacted river systems to a significant extent. A study of basin-specific irrigation systems, as in the case of the River Man basin in Madhya Pradesh, can establish the impact on the overall water situation. This can be part of the Framework, as also a section on improving efficiency of water use in agriculture.
The governance of river basins is particularly problematic as basins usually cover several political and administrative units. While the government’s decision to constitute river basin authorities can address this, it remains to be seen how representative these authorities are of the people living in the basin. Alternatively, the Framework can consider including several traditional water management institutions that exist in each river basin.
The ‘Indian NRAF’ can be a comprehensive way to restore the country’s river network. It can be more effective if developed with the help of people living in the respective river basins. One suggestion is to work on a small basin that falls within one administrative unit (either the same district or state) to develop a model Framework. This can be customized for use in other locations and scaled up or down depending on the size and complexity of the basin.
Aga Khan Rural Support Programme India (AKRSPI) helps meet drinking water needs (from Anjal Prakash, SaciWATERs, Hyderabad )
AKRSPI started working on the Meghal River basin on irrigation and drinking water. They started with lift irrigation schemes in tribal areas and also worked closely with women so drinking water became a priority. Their IWRM based approach regulated practices, and solutions could be found based on culture, societal sanctions and practices. AKRSPI’s experience showed that where water was made available for irrigation, drinking water issues were resolved. Read more.
Society for Promotions of Wastelands Development (SPWD) helps mobilise communities to participate in Jaisamand Lake management(from Anjal Prakash, SaciWATERs, Hyderabad )
SPWD began developing a natural resources plan for the Jaismand catchment area in the 1980s. A study of the water harvesting structures in the area established the relationship between rainfall data and the inflows into the Jaisamand Lake. As a result the local community was also mobilised to initiate a forum for farmers in the area to discuss issues relating to the lake and its management. Read more.
GIS and a remote sensing based approach for urban flood-plain mapping for the Tapi catchment, India (from A K Singh, Nirma University , Ahmedabad)
Paper; by Anupam Singh and Arun Sharma; Nirma University of Science and Technology and Space Application Centre (ISRO); IAHS Publication; 2009;
Available at http://www.floodalertsystem.org/documents/FullPaper.pdf (PDF; Size: 589KB)
In this paper, geospatial technologies such as remote sensing, GIS, and GPS have been utilised to prepare urban flood hazard maps for rivers
Integrated Water Resource Management in India : From Critique to Constructive (from Anjal Prakash, SaciWATERs, Hyderabad)
Paper; by Amita Shah and Anjal Prakash; Gujarat Institute of Development Research and SaciWATERs;
Available at http://www.solutionexchange-un.net.in/environment/cr/res-03120901.pdf (PDF; Size: 125KB)
Discusses how to evolve a holistic perspective on WRM (I-NRM) irrespective of the contemporary debate on IWRM for river basin management
River Water Management: Policy making and public intervention for conservation of water quality and quantity (from Ramakrishna Nallathiga, Centre for Good Governance, Andhra Pradesh; response 1)
Paper; by Ramakrishna Nallathiga; Centre for Good Governance; Journal of IPHE; 2001;
Available at http://www.solutionexchange-un.net.in/environment/cr/res-03120903.pdf (PDF; Size: 113KB)
The paper emphasizes on a programmatic approach towards river water management using appropriate policy instruments for achieving the objectives
Surat Floods: How it was an preventable disaster, Why was the water not released before allowing reservoir to be full? (from Himanshu Thakkar, South Asia Network for Dams Rivers and People, New Delhi)
Press Release; by South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers & People; New Delhi; August 2006;
Available at http://www.solutionexchange-un.net.in/environment/cr/res-03120902.pdf (PDF; Size: 125KB)
Discusses how the floods in Surat in 2006 and the damages of over Rs 21,000 crores were completely preventable by proper river basin management
Current Status Of Water Crisis And Measures To Mitigate It (from Pathak Kripal, National Horticulture Mission , Ministry of Agriculture, New Delhi)
Article; by R.K.Pathak; Five Fold Path Mission; New Delhi;
Available at http://www.solutionexchange-un.net.in/environment/cr/res-03120902.doc (DOC; Size: 83KB)
Discusses the current concerns over the long-term sustainability of water infrastructure, and its ability to sustain future food and water requirements
Resource Accounting for Regional Water Resource Management: A Case Study of Yamuna River Sub-basin (from Ramakrishna Nallathiga, Centre for Good Governance, Andhra Pradesh; response 2)
Paper; by Ramakrishna Nallathiga; Centre for Good Governance; South Asian Journal of Management; April-June 2008;
Available at http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5483/is_200404/ai_n21363067/
Argues for using water accounting as an appropriate tool for decision-making in regional water resource management through an illustrative case study of the Yamuna sub-basin
Recommended Contacts and Experts
From A K Singh, Nirma University , Ahmedabad
Yoginder K Alagh, Institute of Rural Management Anand, Gujarat
Post Box No. 60, Anand 388001, Gujarat; Tel: 91-2692-260391; Fax: 91-2692-260188; yalagh@gmail.com ; https://www.irma.ac.in/institute/board_governors.php
Has been extensively involved in river basin planning, and is the Chairperson of the Institute of Rural Management
Anupam K Singh, Department of Civil Engineering, Nirma University, Gujarat
Sarkhej-Gandhinagar Highway , Post: Chandlodia, Via: Gota, Ahmedabad 382481, Gujarat; Tel: 91- 2717-241911; Fax: 91-2717-241917; anupam.singh@gmx.net;
Professor at the Nirma University , has worked in the areas of river basin planning and management, water resources engineering and hydro-climatology
Recommended Organizations and Programmes
International Water Management Institute, New Delhi(from Saurabh Singh, Inner Voice Foundation, Ballia, Uttar Pradesh)
2nd Floor, Office Block B NASC Complex, DPS Marg, Pusa, New Delhi 110012; Tel: 91-11-25840811; Fax: 91-11-25842075; b.sharma@cgiar.org;
http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/About_IWMI/Strategic_Documents/Annual_Reports/2006_2007/theme1.html
Conducted a study on the global water crisis, food and poverty, disaggregated in sufficient details to support interventions within river basins
From B C Choudhury, Wildlife Institute of India , Dehradun
Central Water Commission, New Delhi
Sewa Bhawan, R.K. Puram, New Delhi 110066; Tel: 91-11-26195516; Fax: 91-11-26195516; smdte@mail.nic.in; http://cwc.gov.in/welcome.html
A premier technical organization of India in the field of water resources, and has information regarding stream and river flows in India
Ministry of Environment and Forestry, New Delhi
Paryawaran Bhawan CGO Complex, Lodi Road , New Delhi 110003; Tel: 91-11-24361669; envisect@nic.in;http://moef.nic.in/index.php
Is conducting a study to understand the surface flow regimen of the Chambal river basin and determine the Critical Ecological Flow that needs to be maintained
GOMUKH, Maharashtra(from Rakesh. K. N., Maithri, Kerala)
Durga, 92/2 Gangote Path, Opposite Kamala Nehru Park , Erandavane, Pune 411004, Maharashtra ; Tel: 91-20-25660160; Fax: 91-20-25673324; gomukh@vsnl.com; http://www.gomukh.org/integration.html; Contact Parineeta Dandekar; Tel: 91-20-25651434; parineeta.dandekar@gmail.com
Works on up-scaling of smaller river valleys to a large river basin through integrated river basin management
From Rahul Banerjee, Khedut Mazdoor Chetna Sangath, Indore
Global Water Partnership, Sweden
Drottninggatan 33, SE-111 51 Stockholm, Sweden; Tel: 46-8-52212630; Fax: 46-8-52212631; gwp@gwpforum.org;http://www.gwpforum.org/servlet/PSP?chStartupName=_about
Aims to support the sustainable development and management of water resources at all levels, the network is open to all organisations involved in water resources management
Water and Power Consultancy Services, New Delhi
Kailash, 5th Floor, 26, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi 110001; Tel: 91-11-23313131; Fax: 91-11-23313131; wapcos@del2.vsnl.net.in; http://wapcos.gov.in/intro.html
Was engaged by the Madhya Pradesh Government to study the problems that might beset the canal network developed in the area and suggest remedies
Indian Space Research Organisation, Karnataka(from A K Singh, Nirma University , Ahmedabad)
Antariksh Bhavan, New BEL Road , Bangalore 560231, Karnataka; Tel: 91-80-23415275; Fax: 91-80-23415275; satish@isro.gov.in; http://www.isro.org/scripts/currentprogramme.aspx
Funded a research project on flood forecasting and warning for the Lower Tapi Basin to develop flood forecasting models
From Anjal Prakash, SaciWATERs, Hyderabad
WaterAid India, New Delhi
1st Floor, Nursery School Building, C-3, Gate-1 Nelson Mandela Marg, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi 110070; Tel: 91-11-46084400; Fax: 91-11-46084400; wai@wateraidindia.org; http://www.wateraid.org/international/what_we_do/where_we_work/india/
Has developed practical techniques to help ensure the country's poor gain access to safe, sustainable and affordable water, sanitation and hygiene education
Gujarat Institute of Development Research, Gujarat
Gota, Ahmedabad 380060, Gujarat ; Tel: 91-2717-242366; Fax: 91-2717-242365; gidr@gidr.ac.in;http://www.gidr.ac.in/natural_resources.php
Conducted studies on institutional indicators for participatory irrigation management, and socio-economic-environmental indicators for watershed development
Society for Promoting Participative Ecosystem Management (SOPPECOM), Maharashtra
16, Kale Park , Someshwarwadi Road , Pashan, Pune 411008, Maharashtra ; Tel: 91-20-25880786; Fax: 91-20-25886542; soppecom@gmail.com; http://www.soppecom.org/focus.htm
Watershed development and river basin management have been the focus areas work for SOPPECOM
Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Environment and Development, Karnataka
ISEC Campus, Nagarabhavi, Bangalore 560072, Karnataka; Tel: 91-80-23217013; Fax: 91-80-23215804; cised-info@atree.org;www.cised.org
Promotes environmentally sound development by contributing critically and constructively to public and academic debates, including those on river basin management
Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (India), Gujarat
Premises Swastik, Cross Road Navrangpura, Ahmedabad 380009, Gujarat ; Tel: 91-79-26427729; Fax: 91-79-26420864; hr@akrspi.org; http://www.akdn.org/india.asp
It address a broad spectrum of development issues ranging from watershed development to river basin development and microfinance to health care
Society for Promotions of Wastelands Development, New Delhi
14-A, Vishnu Digamber Marg, Rouse Avenue Lane, New Delhi 110002; Tel: 91-11-23236440; spwd_delhi@yahoo.com;http://www.spwdindia.org/themes.php
Implementing a Water Governance Project in six sub river basins in three states of India funded by the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust
From Dinesh Kumar, Institute of Resource Analysis and Policy, Andhra Pradesh; response 1
International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage, New Delhi
48 Nyaya Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110021; Tel: 91-11-26116837; Fax: 91-11-26115962; icid@icid.org; http://www.icid.org/index_e.html
Works on improving water management of irrigated land through appropriate management of water, and application of irrigation and flood management techniques
Kerala State Planning Board, Kerala
Pattom, Thiruvanathapuram, Kerala; Tel: 91-471-2540707; Fax: 91-471-2541765;
spb@keralaplanningboard.org; http://www.keralaplanningboard.org/
Sponsored a study of integrated water management planning for the Bharathapuzha river basin, one of the longest rivers in Kerala, originating from Tamil Nadu
National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Maharashtra(from Ramakrishna Nallathiga, Centre for Good Governance, Andhra Pradesh; response 1)
Nehru Marg, Nagpur , 440020, Maharashtra ; Tel: 91-712-2249885; Fax: 91-712-2249900; ra_sohony@neeri.res.in;http://www.neeri.res.in
Suggested the need to look at several factors in studies on the Yamuna river sub-basin which can be helpful in developing a national river action framework
Recommended Portals and Information Bases
ForWaRD, Society for Promoting Participative Ecosystem Management (SOPPECOM), Pune (from Anjal Prakash, SaciWATERs, Hyderabad)
http://www.forward.org.in; Contact K. J. Joy; Tel: 91-20-25880786; soppecom@gmail.com
A comprehensive public domain and GIS-linked database on all completed and ongoing watershed development efforts
Saurabh Singh, Inner Voice Foundation, Ballia, Uttar Pradesh
There is study on the Indo-Gangetic basin by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). It focuses on the water-land-poverty nexus in the above basin area. It includes the water resources of the Basin, and policy and institutional analyses. The larger focus of study is global condition of water, food and poverty, disaggregated in sufficient detail to support interventions within river basins. It examines agriculture, fisheries, energy, the major laws and policies.
You can get in touch with IWMI, Delhi , for the details on this subject.
B C Choudhury, Wildlife Institute of India , Dehradoon
The Chambal River is a perennial southern tributary to the Ganges originating in Vindhya hills and flowing through Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and UP, where it joins the Yamuna. The Chambal basin is largely in the semi-arid agro-climatic zone where the traditional agricultural practices were less water dependent crops.
A large part of the river flows through the ravines of Chambal valley and the ravine areas are now gradually being converted to agriculture crop field with promotion of water hungry crops that have greatly increased the quantity of water being drawn from the Chambal River . Most project proposals developed by the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh are dual purpose projects, often pushed as drinking water projects but are invariably for irrigating water hungry crops such as sugarcane, paddy and wheat. These have government-support purchase prices.
A stretch of 400km of the river has been declared as the National Chambal Sanctuary because of its biodiversity values including important indigenous fish species. However, the number of projects that are now being pushed through will leave very little water flowing from the Chambal to the Yamuna not to mention the lack of a Critical minimum Ecological Flow. Sadly all these project proposals are conceived by the Central Water Commission.
The river flow data is available only to government agencies but not to research organizations and/or common citizens. My organization, the Wildlife Institute of India has been requested by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to study the surface flow regimen of the Chambal river basin and determine the Critical Ecological Flow that needs to be maintained. We are initiating this and are planning collaborations with other organizations including the WWF-India.
What is required for a river basin approach is not only the land-use and agricultural pattern planning, the examination of the status of the natural vegetation in the river basin and its restoration but also a policy framework that ensures quantum of water for the riverine ecology itself. This has to be given the same importance as water for agriculture, industry, drinking water and other sectors. While the country campaigns for an increased green cover, there is no allocation of water for this purpose.
These are some of the issues that need to be discussed. Rather than megaplans such as Ganges Action Plan, it would be prudent to examine the sub basins of major rivers and prepare a river health status report indicating what kind of restoration approaches may be followed for each of these sub-basins.
I wish the meeting on the NRAF all success and hope to receive information on its outcome.
Rakesh. K. N., Maithri, Kerala
Another premier organization in the field of river basin management is GOMUKH worked in the Bhima basin. The contact person is Parineeta Dandekar (parineeta.dandekar@gmail.com), the website is www.gomukh.org.
Manish Kumar, Krishi Gram Yuva Vikas Samiti, Bihar
We are struggling against a distillery owned by the McDowell Company. They are dumping their plastic waste in my village. We have complained against them in the state pollution control and the Ministry of Environment. Their interim order is in our favour. This is one example where we have controlled pollution in a river.
Rahul Banerjee, Khedut Mazdoor Chetna Sangath, Indore
The problems arising out of the mismanagement of dam irrigation on the one hand and the consequent over dependence on ground water for irrigation purposes on the other has led to a serious crisis of over exploitation of groundwater in most areas of the country and also an increasing inequity in water usage among the rich and the poor arising from the creation of water markets. Concerns such as these led to the conceptualisation of participatory integrated resource planning for the empowerment of the poor and management of natural resources for ensuring sustainable livelihoods. However, the vast majority of the poor in India live at subsistence levels, with a high population density and low resource endowments. These are incompatible with the achievement of overall human development within small micro watersheds.
Thus even if successful implementation of micro level watershed development may ensure better management of natural resources, it might still not ensure sustainable livelihoods. Thus, the need arose for considering bigger planning units which would allow for diversification of livelihoods and provide opportunities for the reduction of pressure on natural resources. But the field of planning for water resource development and governance in river basins is still in its infancy and so there are as yet no well developed research designs and implementation methodologies for this. The context for the emergence of river basin planning is as follows.
Following the World Environment Conference in Rio - de - Janeiro in 1992 the concepts of River Basin Management and Integrated Water Resource Management to make possible more holistic planning of water resources came into vogue and. A Global Water Partnership was established to push these ideas for adoption in the water sector on a large scale. However, scholars and practitioners have criticised this concept for being narrowly underpinned by neo-liberal principles, dominated by technical and managerial concerns and concentrating on water conservation while neglecting the vital resource of human labour. They have also questioned its applicability in third world countries like India .
Subsequently there is at present an ongoing attempt to redefine and reformulate the concept to make it suitable to the management of natural resources and sustainable development in Indian conditions. Thus, a modified IWRM framework with adequate attention to the social aspect can be used for the planning and implementation of water resource development and governance in a river basin.
The first step in this direction is to undertake a rigorous estimation of the status of natural resources, the sustainability of their use and the causes that have led to the present situation in the river basin. However, this is a very large exercise and so it is more convenient to study just water availability and use, since water is clearly the most important resource from the livelihoods point of view. Moreover, water availability and use are linked closely with other constituents of the ecosystem and socio-economic system of a particular area, and so such a detailed study of the resource will necessarily involve a study of the whole eco-system and socio-economic system of the area. In what follows, the basic outline and results of such a study conducted in the Man River basin in western Madhya Pradesh is briefly detailed below (The final report is still to be finalised).
The western Madhya Pradesh region is a naturally water scarce region due to four peculiar characteristics.
- The average annual rainfall is low being around 700mm with the number of rainy days being around 50.
- The soil is mostly clayey and so infiltration of rain water is low. Moreover such soils tend to get waterlogged if subjected to flood irrigation.
- The underlying rocks are basaltic and sedimentary having low porosity and permeability and so the capacity to store water in underground aquifers is limited.
- The average evapo-transpiration rate for the area is very high at about 2100 mm and so a considerable amount of the rainfall evaporates immediately. In the dry periods, during the monsoons and later, the moisture retained in the soil evaporates. A large amount of the water stored in big and small surface storage structures also evaporates
The Man River basin has the following unique characteristics which made its study both challenging and interesting -
- The basin spans the three distinct agro-ecological zones of the Malwa plateau, Vindhya hills and the Nimar plains.
- There is a serious problem of over extraction of ground water in the basin.
- There is a large dam in the basin affecting water governance drastically.
- There is a significant tribal population in the basin.
- Considerable soil and water conservation work has taken place in the basin.
- The basin is well endowed with forest resources.
Water availability is more or less related to the rainfall in an area and the rainfall in the Man river basin was below the average for more than 50 per cent of the period of the years covered by the study (1989-2005). These were the years when the kharif crop was also under water stress leading to lower than potential yields. In a normal year, the water needs for the kharif season is entirely met by rainfall and no additional irrigation is needed. In years of sub-normal rainfall there is little scope for providing protective irrigation in most cases and effectively this causes water stress and lower yields.
Consequently what is more of a concern from the planning point of view is the water used for the irrigated crops in the rabi season. An estimation of the rabi season water demand using an empirical relationship dependent on the crop evapo-transpiration and the area under each crop revealed that while in 1989 the total water demand was 1100 million cubic meters, it rose to 1321 million cubic meters by 2005.Thus, there has been an increase in water demand over the period by 20 percent. This water demand was being met mostly by groundwater in the Malwa region and from groundwater and some lift irrigation from streams with return flows in the Vindhya region. In the Nimar region the component of lift irrigation is higher because of the enhanced flow in the Man river downstream of the Man dam due to seepage under the dam and from the canals.
This water demand has to be compared with the average annual water being precipitated on the total geographical area which is about 3,000 million cubic meters. Thus the water demand for irrigation in 2005 was 44 per cent of the total annual precipitation and was mostly met from groundwater. Estimations done in hard rock areas show that natural recharge is never more than 11 per cent of the total annual rainfall. Thus, the current level of extraction being four times higher, the groundwater aquifers have become over-exploited and the surface storage structures too are not capable of meeting this theoretical demand. This has led to water stress and lower yields of crops in the Rabi season in recent years. The base flow in the Man River above the Man dam dries up in October itself at the end of the monsoons as a consequence of this high level of groundwater extraction that begins at that time.
There are problems with surface water utilisation in the basin.
1. Inadequate and Poorly Constructed Canal Network
Contrary to the design the Right Bank Canal Network has been developed more than the Left Bank Canal Network. In both cases the length of main canals, the distributaries and the minors is less than the design length. Moreover, the construction quality of the canals is very poor and in many stretches the proper trapezoidal section and dimensions as per the designs have not been adopted, even for the main canal. Moreover, even though it is claimed in the final cost estimate report that 18.42 km length of the main canal has been lined, in reality this is not the case as only those sections of the main canal built above the ground level through earth filling have been lined and their length is much less. In fact, the total final cost of lining is a meagre Rs 2.7 crores. These canals are therefore unable to handle the design flows and the actual flow in the Left Bank Canal varies between 2 - 3 cubic meters per second (cumecs) and that in the Right Bank Canal between 3 - 6 cumecs.
2. Seepage and Waterlogging
The Water and Power Consultancy Services (WAPCOS) was engaged by the Madhya Pradesh Government to study the problems that might beset the canal network in the form of seepage given the kind of soil through which the canals were to pass and suggest remedies. The report of WAPCOS submitted in 1980 assumes the following estimates for losses –
1. Lined System
- Main Canal and Branches - 4 cusecs/million sq. ft.
- Distribution System - 6 cusecs/million sq. ft.
2. Unlined System
- Main Canal and Branches - 15 cusecs/million sq. ft.
- Distribution System - 20 cusecs/million sq. ft.
The costs are then worked out for the canal system for different scenarios of unlined and lined systems. This is done by estimating the area of command for each scenario which goes on increasing as the system is progressively lined. Consequently even though the cost of lining goes up the cost per hectare comes down as the increase in the command area due to lining more than offsets the increased cost of lining as follows –
- Wholly Unlined - Rs 13,675/Ha
- Main Canals and Branches Lined- Rs 12,380/Ha
- Lining up to 40 Ha blocks Rs 11,033/Ha
- Lining up to 8 Ha blocks Rs 10,607/Ha
The Detailed Project Report of the Man Dam goes on to say, "In view of this and the recommendations of the World Bank in their Staff Appraisal Report no. 3260-IN of February, 1981, lining of the whole canals system up to 5 to 8 Ha blocks is proposed in the Man Project." Contrary to this, as mentioned earlier, only a small part of the main canals have been lined and leading to enormous amounts of seepage. So great are these losses, given the poor construction of the canals, that as soon as the main canals are charged the drainage nullahs begin to flow with seepage water and they continue to do so throughout the irrigation season. This huge amount of water then flows to the tanks that have been constructed in the command area and overflows their waste weirs and finally reaches the Man river unutilised downstream of the dam.
Naturally, the command area has shrunk considerably as there is not enough water flowing in the canals. In the 2007-08 season the "Elan" was for only 5000 Ha or one third of the design command. The actual irrigation took place in only 2765 Ha in 15 villages by the Right Bank Canal and 2153 Ha in 14 villages by the Left Bank Canal for a total of 4918 Ha. This is in addition to the irrigation from water taken from the distributaries through field channels, and also includes the irrigation from the seepage water collected in tanks. The incomplete canal network and the meagre flow in the main canal itself, depleted by seepage, has prompted farmers to use their own means to lift water from the canals.
Moreover, the heavy seepage has also led to waterlogging in several plots close to the main canals. A survey was conducted in the 2007-08 irrigation season of the ways in which water was being drawn by the farmers and the number of farmers who had been affected by seepage. This revealed that there are considerable problems with regard to pulling water from the canals, because the water pulled by motor pumps and siphons exceeded direct supply by 80.8 per cent. As many as 31.3 per cent of farmers are affected by waterlogging due to seepage. They have had to either abandon this land or construct drainage channels to divert the seepage water. At least a 1,000 hectares is affected by seepage. Despite several petitions to the administration, no remedial action has been taken. Not surprisingly there is tremendous competition for canal water towards the lower reaches where the flow becomes very low due to seepage and unauthorised withdrawals higher up. Regulatory structures have been broken by the farmers and they draw water at will.
3. Unsuitability of Command for Flood Irrigation
About 60.2 per cent of the command area consists of land that is unsuitable for flood irrigation without extensive land levelling and bunding work and yet the project was sanctioned without any provision in the budget for land levelling work. A this considerable additional length of drainage channels need to be built but this finds only cursory mention and a provision of a paltry Rs 9.42 lakhs in the original DPR of 1982. However, in the final estimates for 2004, even this absurdly low provision has been done away with. This omission has obviously been done to keep down the costs of the project and artificially improve the cost benefit ratio. The costs of afforestation and soil conservation in the catchment have also been ignored and the oustees of the dam have been denied proper rehabilitation. All these cost cuts have added to the problems of the dam as the silt load has gone up and the oustees have not only remained in the submergence area to practise drawdown agriculture but have also engaged in agitation and litigation under the banner of the Narmada Bachao Andolan.
This critical estimation of water availability and use can then help us to decide the strategy to be adopted for future planning in the basin - the choice of the appropriate method by which to ensure the presence of soil moisture in most of the lands in the basin during the Rabi season. Given that the final cost of the Man Project in 2004 was Rs 176.75 crores (as compared to the design cost in 1982 of Rs 35.94 crores) and the additional irrigation achieved is only 4000 Ha (5000 Ha minus the 1000 Ha lost to waterlogging), the cost per hectare of irrigation provided turns out to be a whopping Rs 4,41,875. Similarly the actual costs of groundwater extraction in terms of power which is being provided at a subsidised rate is prohibitive and such a path is unsustainable both on fiscal and environmental grounds.
In comparison the alternative of the watershed plus approach applied at basin level including interlinking of watersheds can make the best and most sustainable and equitable use of the total water available. It will ensure soil moisture for rabi cultivation at a cost of Rs 12,000 per hectare over a much larger area, apart from social and environmental benefits of communitarian soil and water conservation work.
A K Singh, Nirma University , Ahmedabad
The Tapi river is among the few west-flowing river in India, originating in Madhya Pradesh passing through Maharashtra and Gujarat before draining to Arabian Sea near Surat. The Tapi river is often related to periodic flood disasters, damaging infrastructure and paralysing the life of several million inhabitants in the lower river basin.
I am currently undertaking a research project on flood forecasting and warning for Lower Tapi Basin (LTB) funded by ISRO, Department of Space, Government of India. We are developing flood forecasting models (using the .NET framework) as well establishing hydro-meteorological data collection network using an automatic weather station network. We have been approaching several government agencies for discussions, procurement of historical data records, roles and responsibilities of various agencies, basin level institutional and organizational structures, and lessons learnt during past flood events. A research paper can be downloaded from here http://www.floodalertsystem.org/documents/FullPaper.pdf
Answering various questions raised in the forum
A. Are there any regional or local experiences of river basin planning and management and what are the lessons learnt?
YES, government is the sole custodian of water therefore any river basin planning is limited to involvement of CWC, State Irrigation Department, and if any local municipal authority.
B. How can we concretize the NRAF framework? Please provide specific inputs with regards to essential components to be included in the action plan and the institutional structures required.
NRAF should look for (i) water quantity issues including disaster due to drought and flood, (ii) water quality issue including discharge from industry and urban wastewater (iii) Ecology-fauna and biodiversity (iv) land including development regulations for municipalities (v) agriculture and mining activities (vi) economic and infrastructure issues.
C. Which are the organizations and resource persons that have been involved in river basin planning? Please provide details.
No such structure exists for Tapi and other basins in Gujarat. But one may contact (i) Shri M K Jadhav, Chief Engineering & Addl. Secretary, Narmada and Water Resources Depart., Govt of Gujarat Gandhinagar, Gujarat (ii) Prof. Y K Alagh Chairman, Institute of Rural Management Anand, Gujarat (iii) Prof. Dr Anupam K Singh, Department of Civil Engineering Nirma University Ahmedabad
I hope this helps you in consolidating some of your thoughts for NRAF activities and future directions.
Anjal Prakash, SaciWATERs, Hyderabad
I thank Dr Baby for sharing the information on the launch of NRAF and seeking the experiences of river basin planning and management. I remembered being part of the organizing committee for Brainstorming Workshop on IWRM in India in early 2007. The workshop was organized WaterAid India (WAI) and Gujarat Institute of Development Research, Ahmedabad. As a part of the WAI team then, I wish to share some of the documentation that we did on the issue which can be of direct relevance for NRAF. To start with, WAI has supported ForWaRD, a forum comprising of SOPPECOM, GIDR and CISED for review of watershed programmes in Maharashtra and MP and their impact on drinking water availability; desk review of drinking water and sanitation status in Maharashtra and MP and in generation of watershed project maps using GIS for Karnataka and Maharashtra . It has also produced a draft water quality policy to be implemented in its project areas and guidelines for water source recharge measures. The two years research programme with ForWaRD showed that an integrated approach for augmentation and allocation of water across different uses continues to be lacking. In several places, watershed programmes have increased agricultural yield and cropping intensity but drinking water continues to be a problem in terms of quantity and quality. The dependence on groundwater for irrigation and domestic use is outpacing extraction as compared to recharging, affecting drinking water supply and sanitation. Much of the research findings are now available at the website of ForWaRD (http://www.forward.org.in/). The workshop was to take forward the issues evolved out of the two years research and look into river basin planning. Some distinctive case studies on River Basin Planning from India that were presented at the workshop are as follows:
Meghal River Basin in Gujarat :
Mr. Apoorva Oza, the chief executive officer of Aga Khan Rural Support Programme ( India ) presented the experiences of Meghal River basin that was on the issues of interconnection between irrigation and drinking water. AKRSPI, started initially with lift irrigation schemes in tribal areas and PIM, shifted slowly to small water harvesting structures and watershed approaches in some areas of Gujarat . In mid 1990’s it has started to work closely with rural women and so drinking water became a priority especially in coastal saline areas. It has started working with WASMO in scaling up drinking water projects in two districts in Gujarat . According to him, the ideas on IWRM are so exciting that they tend to regulate practice. Solutions are based not on water but on culture and societal sanctions and practices. Where water is available for irrigation, he observed, drinking water improved in quantity and in quality. Quality in potable water is not much of an issue with people. At the village level AKRSPI’s experience showed that in watershed treated villages, the recharge of drinking water is much better which has improved the quantity and quality of drinking water source. In areas of Surendranagar and Junagarh where water quality problem persists, the groundwater recharge structures like dams, percolation tanks, shallow recharge wells have been taken up, These structures benefit drinking water and irrigation. However, the linkage is neither uniform nor predictable as it is geologically dependent. In late 1990s, AKRSP(I), started piloting river-basin approach around Meghal River which consists of 58 villages in 7 kms stretch. Rivers in India form a culturally and socially accepted unit for intervention and AKRSP(I)’s approach is to focus on mass awareness (using local plays (dayra), foot-march, films, street-plays) for river conservation. It has also focused on demand management through promotion of drip-sprinklers. The results of river basin approach are positive. Two streams of river have been treated up to 80% while there is high use of sprinklers and low cost drip irrigation. Also, the drinking water access in villages by womens groups has increased due to increase in water availability.
Mr. Viren Lobo of Society for Promotions of Wastelands Development (SPWD) shared SPWD’s experience in working with 3 river basins in Rajasthan – i.e. Jaisamand River Basin in Udaipur District, Kak River Basin in Jaisalmer District and Banganga River Basin in Dausa District.
Jaisamand River Basin : SPWD work expanded to treatment of watersheds in 1980s. In the early nineties it was felt that there was a need to study institutional development in the Jaisamand catchment area. The associated agencies of SPWD began developing natural resources plan in the region. A research study done by SOPPECOM of 15 small water harvesting structures in the project area was mooted that tried to understand the relationship between the watershed, sub basin and the river basin. The study established the relationship between rainfall data and the inflows into the Jaisamand Lake . The standard model for measuring runoff could not take into account low rainfall and heavy intensity rainfall and hence the anomaly was sorted out by the revising the standard model. In parallel to this, the local community was mobilized to initiate a forum for farmers in Jaisamand catchment area to discuss the larger issues relating to Jaisamand Lake and its management. Some of the key issues emerging in the basin were the large pool of grazing lands which were degraded and the forest land degradation in the Jhamri River Basin which covers around 1\3rd of the total Jaisamand lake’s catchment. The third issue was sand extraction from Kharka River and the conflict between farmers and sand extractors.
Kak River Basin : In Kak River Basing in Jaisalmer, the upper reaches are kept barren so that maximum water runs off and is stored in sub surface storages or in Khadins (traditional water harvesting structure). While the sub surface storages are useful for drinking water, the Khadins help irrigating the Rabi crop. Lately the government promoted Tankas (under ground tanks connected to roof rain water harvesting structures) in the fields, which provides drinking water for four to six months. A water balance study was done to understand the issues involved and conservation methods such as rain water storage in Khadins, Tankas and Beris, roof water harvesting and water use such as drinking water, agriculture, animal husbandry, tourism and industry etc. There is a breakdown of the traditional system of water conservation due to mining, migration. Off late, ground water exploitation is leading to a breakdown in the system of conservation.
Banganga River Basin : In Banganga River Basin , the issue is of increased fluoride in water sources and its mitigation. Earlier, the fluoride affected villages were located in Dausa and Mahua districts but the recent data shows that fluoridation is now affecting 850 villages of Dausa District alone. Water quality issues such as fluoride contamination is directed related to depletion of the water tables and the nature of minerals in the rock structure including the depth of their availability.
Apart from sharing experiences from river basin planning, the integration of Watershed Development and IWRM was discussed extensively. Most prominent of them were Prof. Amita Shah of GIDR who held the view that watershed is a geographical unit for integrated management of natural resources (I-NRM) in India . Water is the most critical component in I-NRM. However, the present discourse keeps blind of each other and IWRM starts where water resource development ends. There is a need to explore a more synthesized perspective of I-NRM though Watershed Development (WSD). The strengths of I-NRM through WSD are that it emphasizes on resource conservation, use-efficiency, livelihood sustainability and decentralised management. The challenges are - upstream-downstream issues, in-situ management, scale dis-advantage, reinforce present property rights regime, and individual stakeholders. However, IWRM engages with the same set of issues and challenges. Adopting watershed based IWRM offers a bottom up approach whose main features are sub-river basin approach, planning and sectoral allocation through iterative processes between macro-meso-micro levels, more of demand based verses supply based planning, scope for intra-basin transfer of water (including virtual water), larger unit of planning provides greater space for negotiations among stakeholder (across sectors and upstream-downstream regimes) and multi-layer institutions offering equal platform for negotiations. The role of markets is envisaged within regulated framework in:
- Allocation of Water by Sectors and HHS would necessitate Well Negotiated Differential Pricing Structure (with possibility of zero price for the weaker sections)
- Built-in Incentives for Water–Use efficiency (land use, crop-choice, technology)
- Compensatory Mechanism for Upstream-Downstream Conflicts
- Greater Role for CBOs for Ensuring Compliance
- Better Linkages with Input-Output Markets (Scale advantage)
However, the question was - where to begin in improving and up-scaling WDPs? Some points that were discussed are as follows:
- Going beyond Milli Watersheds-how feasible is it?
- Integrating WDPs with Medium and Minor Irrigation Schemes-implications for reviving RVPs.
- Strengthening of WDP based federations-do they really exist? Why?
- Building Capacity for Negotiations-going beyond routine training programmes
- Legal Status of Multilayered Institutions-Is there an Indicative Model?
The pertinent questions are - does this interface with the ongoing debate on IWRM? And how to break the dichotomy of Irrigation verses WDPs among experts, policy makers and even parishioners (resigning to the duality and misplaced emphasis on decentralization per se)? Further, how do we evolve a holistic perspective on WRM (I-NRM) irrespective of the contemporary debate on IWRM?
Much of these questions formed a paper which Prof. Amita Shah and I had jointly written that consolidated the issues discussed. I am sharing this paper for the benefit of the community here. I think people I had mentioned in my reply could be contacted as resource person (http://www.solutionexchange-un.net.in/environment/cr/res-03120901.pdf, PDF, 125 Kb).
Arunabha Majumder, Jadavpur University , Kolkata
Abatement of river pollution should address the following.
- Since untreated sewage and sullage contribute considerable pollution to rivers, hence facilities for sewage / sullage need to be installed for the cities/towns situated by the side of the rivers. It is preferred to have sewerage systems for the urban centres. The treated sewage may be utilised in algae culture / fish culture/ irrigation etc.
- Untreated or partially treated waste water from industries contribute pollution to rivers. In this context strict enforcement of regulation by the State Pollution Control Board and Environment Department is necessary.
- Discharges of cattleshed waste in rivers need to be discontinued. Use of cattleshed waste for biogas generation and manure may be encouraged.
- Use of pesticides, insecticides etc need to be controlled in order to minimise pollution from surface runoff.
- Better solid waste management system should be introduced to discontinue dumping of solid waste in or near to the rivers.
Subsurface recharging in the river basin could be enhanced through application of sustainable structures. Afforestation can minimise soil erosion from the river basin. Siltation in the rivers needs to be minimised by maintaining flow. Impact of dams and barrages must be assessed by examining all aspects. Environmental Impact assessment for river valley projects should be carried out without biasness.
Dinesh Kumar, Institute of Resource Analysis and Policy, Andhra Pradesh (response 1)
The government of Gujarat is one of the few states to do some sort of a river basin planning. It started with the Sabarmati river basin. However, the planning results were not implemented. The ICID, New Delhi had done basin water accounting for two river basins, viz., Sabarmati and the Brahmani.
The government of Kerala (Kerala State Planning Board) had sponsored a study of integrated water management planning for Bharathapuzha river basin (one of the longest rivers in Kerala, originating from TN) in 2005-07. The study was undertaken by IWMI-Tata water policy programme, and I was the Principal Investigator for this study. The report is titled Planning For Integrated Water Management in Bharathapuzha River Basin : Report of a research study undertaken in Kerala part of the basin. I am told that some of the recommendations of this study were taken up for implementation there in the basin.
There are quite a few basin level planning & evaluation studies available from the NGO sector. One example, again is a detailed study of Sabarmati river basin, using Water Evaluation & Planning System (WEAP) done by Indian Natural Resource Economics & Management (INREM) Foundation, Anand in 2001, and also a water accounting study for the basin. Earlier there was a study done by VKSAT, Ahmedabad. I was the principal investigator for both the studies. The study analyzed the impact of various interventions such as inter-basin water transfer for recharge, water demand management etc., on the basin water balance.
So, in nutshell, yes, there are lots of experience in river basin planning; but not so much in management. If anyone is interested in the research reports/papers, they may like to get in touch with the concerned persons.
Ramakrishna Nallathiga, Centre for Good Governance, Andhra Pradesh (response 1)
It is heartening to know about the initiative to bring about a National River Action Framework with a view to: (a) conserve and sustain river basins; (b) ensure minimum flows in rivers; (c) protect rivers from pollution; (d) prepare and implement scientific and holistic river basin plans for all river basins in India and (e) design institutional structures for sustainable management.
In fact the need for looking at these factors as inputs to the river water management was suggested in the studies on Yamuna river sub-basin (natural resource accounting in the sub-basin) by the NEERI for the Ministry of Environment and Forests. The enclosed paper gives one such framework and the underlying principles of river water management for taking forward the action. (http://www.solutionexchange-un.net.in/environment/cr/res-03120903.pdf, PDF, 113 Kb)
Himanshu Thakkar, South Asia Network for Dams Rivers and People, New Delhi
The August 2006 flood in Tapi river and the unprecedented disaster in Surat city and surrounding villages was entirely a man-made disaster, due to wrong operation of the Ukai reservoir, see the attached analysis. I am sending this since Mr A K Singh's paper deals with this issue. (http://www.solutionexchange-un.net.in/environment/cr/res-03120902.pdf, PDF, 125 Kb).
Dinesh Kumar, Institute of Resource Analysis and Policy, Andhra Pradesh (response 2)
I want to raise some critical issues related to basin planning of water resources. In order to do river basin planning or to use basin approach to implementing water management interventions, two basic things are required from a physical and socio-economic perspective:
- Data on the stream flows, groundwater outflows into stream flows, the renewable groundwater resources and the land use.
- Data on the current level of water diversions, allocations and use in the basin, and the water demand from different sectors.
Unfortunately, for the thousands of small river basins/catchments and ephemeral streams in India (like those in western Rajasthan and Saurashtra), there is no “stream gauging”. Therefore, data on stream-flows are not available. These are called “un-gauged basins”. Even worse is the situation vis-à-vis availability of data on water diversions, allocation and use and estimating water demands with some degree of accuracy. Further, for small basins, estimation of groundwater resources is also extremely difficult due to the fact that the basin boundaries do not coincide with the boundaries of the units for which assessments are usually done (block and districts). Let me also note here that in some states (like Maharashtra ), the watershed is the unit for groundwater recharge assessments.
So, for planning purposes, an IWRM approach makes sense for large basins, where data on these variables are manageable or generated with some degree of reliability. This does not mean that the approach can be successfully tried on the ground. At the operational level, the challenge is to create institutions for water resources management and water allocation functions, separate from those meant for water resource development and use which exist at present (like the irrigation dept., the water supply agency etc.). That only can prevent situations where we have drinking water crisis in summer months, while the irrigators consume 95 per cent of the appropriated water in the basin by the end of winter itself.
Hope this is somewhat useful.
Pathak Kripal, National Horticulture Mission , Ministry of Agriculture, New Delhi
I am happy to learn that you are interested in study of water in Tapti river. I was involved in promoting organic Farming. Over a decade I found the Homa Organic Farming process helped to mitigate the water crisis in several rivers. You can view more details in this paper on the Current Status of Water Crisis and Measures to Mitigate it (http://www.solutionexchange-un.net.in/environment/cr/res-03120902.doc, Word, 83 Kb)
Ramakrishna Nallathiga, Centre for Good Governance, Andhra Pradesh (response 2)
Water accounting is a useful framework in moving towards river basin planning and it can be used not only for quantity management but also quality management through identification of policy interventions that yield cost-effective results. There is another paper that gives the framework, outputs and results of water accounting exercise carried out in Yamuna river sub-basin at the following link: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5483/is_200404/ai_n21363067/.
Dilip Deshpande, NABARD, Mumbai
The question of control of pollution of our rivers which are so sacred to all Indians, is very important. Everybody believes it is important at the personal level but at the community level, people simply look the other way, showing utter indifference and callousness towards rivers. However, the question is not as complicated. During a programme on the River Ganga on Discovery Channel, Mr Dinesh Mishra, who was perhaps heading that committee, mentioned that at Varanasi there are only 30 points of entry of sewage water in the River. Thus, the points could be identified and could be systematically tackled. I am sure the local people will also join in, if efforts to involve them are made. After all the famous Rhine river which flows in Europe , was among the dirtiest river in 1960s and even 1970s. However, after 1970s, organised efforts have led to significant improvements and it is an international success story.
Asit Nema, Foundation for Greentech Environmental Systems, New Delhi
Please refer to the following paper (http://www.solutionexchange-un.net.in/environment/cr/res-03120905.pdf, PDF, 55 Kb) which offers an alternative paradigm for river water quality improvement. The paper covers the issue of limited resources available for water pollution control from rapidly growing urban centres, an alternate paradigm of covering wider geographical area in river basins through provision of a basic or curtailed treatment scheme comprising enhanced primary treatment is proposed.
This paradigm deviates from the conventional approach wherein treatment of sewage up to the secondary level is provided only in selected large cities while the other smaller towns are often left out and; wherein discharge standards for these large cities are attempted to be complied with while at the rest of the places in the same river basin, raw sewage continues to flow into the river. The new paradigm is based on the premise that discharge standards at each of the new treatment plants can be attained in phases over a reasonable period of time rather than in one go.
The curtailed treatment scheme entails limited upfront capital investment at a particular location and allows the available resources to be spread over a larger number of cities and towns in the same river basin. As additional resources are made available, secondary level treatment units can be appended in the second phase, starting from larger installations and gradually covering the smaller installations. This strategy is known to have yielded rapid gains in China particularly and other countries in terms of water quality improvement in a river basin and deserves consideration in the Indian context.
V. Kurien Baby, Government of Kerala, Thrissur
Many thanks for the comments so far received. While appreciating all the responses, we would be extremely grateful if experts working in the basins can share experiences and more importantly contribute to guide future road map for the NRAF. As one of the key objectives is to initiate the process by preparing an inventory of river actions groups and experts/agencies already working in the various basins in India , it would be really important to have their guidance.
As an outcome of the discussions on 7th December, 2009 at Thrissur, tentatively we have decided to:
- Prepare and design a concept paper and circulate among partners for comments and modifications
- To elicit support form national opinion makers, experts, scientists, and eminent Indians from all walks of life to be on board as advisors and guides
- To inventorize River Action Groups working in India and
- To set up a small executive secretariat at national capital for:
- Partnering with stakeholders and Governments at all levels for river basin sustainability
- Coordination and networking
- Create a challenge fund to facilitate Action Research and documentation
- Technical Assistance to basin Action Groups/Governments
- Preparation of River Status Reports
- Set up a national River Basin Information Systems
- Analytical advocacy
- Prepare Action Plan and Priorities
It was also decided to conduct padayatras in rivers, river festivals and river symposiums for stakeholder consultations and participatory action plans. Members may kindly comment on the proposals in addition to the original query.
A. Rajagopal, SaciWaters, Chennai
This is in response to Kurien Baby's query on river basin planning experience in India . I would like to share the following based on my earlier work in this field.
In our country, the river basin planning and management has been discussed for long but nothing can be shown as a practical model. According to a study on Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) by Global Water Partnership (GWP), India is lagging behind compared to many Asian countries. This is especially the case in River Basin Management (RBM) – which is practicing IWRM at the basin level. In this connection myself and my colleague Mr. K. Srinivas, IAS, both of us were Visiting Fellows at the National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD), Hyderabad , had undertaken a study on IWRM and RBM in India . As a part of this, we also had conducted a national level consultation (2005) on Institutional and Policy issues related to IWRM and RBM in India involving senior officials, policy makers and public from different states and the Central government.
Already there were few experiments on River basin planning and management in some states in India by NGOs and the Government. These experiments were not uniform in terms of operational area - size of the area covered but generally found higher than a watershed like tributary, sub-basin and basin. The experiments by Government were undertaken generally as a part of the water sector restructuring projects funded by external agencies (eg Palar Basin in Tamil Nadu under World Bank) As regards NGOs, they were supported by donors like any other natural resources management programme. However both these experiments are rudimentary and not made significant impact on the subject. It is generally found that the formation and sustainability of River Basin Organisations (RBO) as an effective institution for river basin planning and management depends upon two key factors: Simultaneous support by the state (known as top-down approach) and the community (viz. bottom up approach). But in India the experiments on RBM have excessively focused on either one of these two and hence not succeeded. The NGOs experiments did not involve government enough and the Government projects did not have adequate community participation in planning and implementation. Moreover these RBOs also did not have proper legal and institutional backup from the state. Under the existing legislations, RBOs are only advisory bodies and do not have legal power for implementation of the decisions taken by them. There were some efforts made earlier by Government for providing such legislative and policy support but have not made much headway in this as discussed below:
In 1998, Government of India had appointed a committee to recommend ways and means for institutionalization of integrated river basin planning and development in our country. The committee submitted its report viz. ‘Report of the National Commission for Integrated Water Resources Development Plan,’ in 1999. The committee had several working groups for studying many issues related to IWRM like competing water requirements for different purposes and ways of management of them, inter basin transfer, water for environment etc. One of the working groups had dealt with the legal and institutional aspects of IWRM and River Basin Planning. The working group had strongly recommended adopting river basin as the unit for Integrated Water Resources planning and Development. The working group felt that the existing acts were inadequate for providing legal support for effective water resources management at the basin level and hence recommended for a separate Act called “ Inter-State Rivers and River Valley (Integrated and Participatory Management) Act”. Besides River Basin boards, the working group had recommended for creation of appropriate institutional structures suitable to Indian conditions especially at the middle level ( between basin level Boards and field level organizations like Water Users Associations). These organizations are known as ‘Water Districts’ in other countries like Japan , France etc. It is to be noted that these are critical institutions which have played important role in bridging the gap between government and public in river basin planning and management in these countries.
Apart from the committee report, around 1999 many other initiatives were also taken towards IWRM/RBM. In July 2000, a South Asia level workshop was held in Colombo on ‘Sustainable River Basin Management’. The workshop has recommended for the adoption of River basin Organization (RBO) as the appropriate institution to translate the concept of IWRM in to action as it felt that the river basin is a logical hydrological and bio-physical unit for the sustainable management of natural resources in a region. The recommendations of the workshop were considered in an international conference on water resources management held in November 2000 at Delhi , which had resulted in “Delhi Declaration” on River Basin Organization. In 2002, the World Bank based on its collaborative review of water sector with Government of India had emphasized the need for integrated development of water resources at river basin levels and also pointed out the disincentives for such efforts in the existing institutional structure. In August 2002, the issue of passing of a separate Act (as recommended by the GOI committee on IWRM 1999) was discussed by the National Water Resources Council headed by then Prime Minister and attended by the state Water Resources Ministers. It is learnt that the idea was opposed by many states and hence a committee was setup to evolve consensus among states on the overall framework of River Basin Organizations (RBO). It is further understood that the committee had met many times since then and however could not come to consensus on RBOs - its structure, functions and powers of these organization especially the role of the centre and state governments in the management of them.
In India most of the rivers are transboundary and hence RBOs provides better opportunity for management with involvement of all stakeholders concerned. A genuine RBO based on democratic norms and functions can also go a long way in addressing disputes among riparian states. But unfortunately this has not gained momentum for the reasons discussed earlier. Hence it may be useful to consider these points in the existing or future programmes on river basin planning and water management in India by agencies like NGOs, government, donors and external lending agencies.
Many thanks to all who contributed to this query!
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