| WATER RESOURCES India is endowed with vast water and land resources. Renewable water
resources in the country are 1869 billion cubic metre (b.cu.m), 4% of global availability.
India with 329-million hectare area receives surface water of 4000 b.cu.m every year
including 3000 b.cu.m of monsoon rain. However, due to uneven nature of distribution of
water resources and topographic constraints, the annual utilisable resource is only 1122
b.cu.m, including surface water of 690 b.cu.m and ground water 432 b.cu.m.
PER CAPITA AVAILABILITY
The aerial distribution of the water resources in the country is highly uneven. Though the
national per capita annual availability is about 2,200 cu. m, it is a 18,400 cu. m in
Brahmaputra basin, while it is as low as 380 cu. m. in some of the east flowing rivers of
Tamil Nadu. Excluding the Brahmaputra basin, the per capita availability in the country
stands at 1500 cu.m.
DECLINING WATER AVAILABILITY
Although, the average water availability in the country remains more or less fixed
according to the natural hydrologic cycle, the per capita water availability is reducing
steadily owing to increasing population. In 1955, it was 5,300 cu.m. Per person, but come
down to 2,200 cu.m. in 1996. It is expected to go down to 1479 cubic metres by 2016 due to
increase in population. According to the norms, any situation of water availability of
less 1,000 cubic meters per capita is considered as scarcity condition.Realising the
importance of water resources development on a scientific basis, efforts were made
beginning from the First Five Year Plan.Nehru visualised Dams as the modern temples and
gave adequate thrust to an integrated approach to ensure the efficient use of water at
both macro & micro levels.In the last five decades, a large number of water resources
development projects for irrigation, power, generation, drinking water, industrial uses
civic supplies and navigation have been implemented.
IRRIGATION
In 1951, the irrigation potential was 22 million hectares (m.ha). By the end of the Eighth
five year plan,(1997.), it increased to 89.4 m.ha.
| PLAN |
OUTLAY/EXPENDITURE(Rs
in crore) |
POTENTIAL CREATED(m.ha) |
CUMULATIVE |
| Pre- plan period |
NA |
9.70 |
9.70 |
| First Plan(1951-56) |
376 |
2.50 |
12.20 |
| Second Plan(1956-61) |
380 |
2.13 |
14.33 |
| Third Plan(1961-66) |
576 |
2.24 |
16.56 |
| Fourth Plan(1969-74) |
1242 |
2.60 |
20.70 |
| Fifth Plan (1974-78) |
2516 |
4.02 |
24.72 |
| Sixth Plan (1980-85) |
7369 |
1.09 |
27.70 |
| Seventh Plan (1985-90) |
11107 |
2.22 |
29.92 |
| Eighth Plan (1992-97) |
21483 |
2.09 |
32.83 |
At the end of 1996-97 irrigation potential created stands at 91.8 m. ha. This gigantic
task has been accomplished by undertaking 311 major projects, 944 medium projects and
Extension, Renovation and Modernisation (ERM) of 170 old projects. Of these 129 major
projects, 773 medium projects and 96 ERM projects have been completed. In addition,
millions of minor irrigation projects have also been completed. Total investment in this
massive programme during 1951-1997 was about Rs. 80,000 crores. Because of these created
storage works, it has now become possible to provide assured irrigation in the command
areas, to ensure supply for hydro-power and thermal power plants and to meet requirements
for various other uses. However, the country has harnessed only 15 per cent of cultivable
land is irrigated. Still 70 per cent of river flows are discharged into the sea without
utilisation.
All ground water and surface water schemes having Culturable Command Area upto 2,000 ha
are classified as Minor Irrigation Schemes.Minor irrigation projects have the advantage of
lower initial capital costs, low gestation period and user friendly nature without
requiring complex technology. The Government has accorded due priority to development of
minor irrigation projects particularly since the III Five-Year Plan. These projects are
much safer from the environmental considerations also. The ultimate irrigation potential
from such schemes has been assessed as 55.0 m.ha. Upto the end of VIIIth Five-Year Plan,
already 56.61 m.ha of irrigation potential has been created.
National Water Policy, formulated in 1987, emphasis that planning and development of water
resources would be governed by the national perspective. Other milestones are: National
Water Resources Council (N.W.R.C) was set up in 1983 to lay down the National Water Policy
and to review and to advise on the modalities of resolving inter state differences.
National Water Board was set up in 1990 to discuss national policy guidelines for
allocation of Interstate River water among states and Mrrigation Management Policy. Safe
Drinking Water Mission 1986 made efforts to provide safe drinking in both urban and rural
areas. As a result it has been possible to provide safe drinking water to 85% of the
population. Instituitions: Central Water Commission ,Central Ground Water Board, National
Water development Agency, Ganga flood Control commission , Brahmaputra Broad, Central Soil
and material Research Station, Central Water and Power Research Station; and The National
Institute of hydrology were set up. Command Area Development Programme was launched in
1974-75 for improving utilisation of irrigation potential and optimising agricultural
productivity and production from the irrigated areas by integrating all functions related
with irrigated agriculture.
INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION
India shares its river waters with its neighbours Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan.
During past two years there have been important agreements between India and Bangladesh
and India and Nepal.
POWER GENERATION
India has a vast potential for hydropower generation. As per an estimate of Central
Electricity Authority, the potential in the country is 84,000 MW at 60 per cent load
factor, which is equivalent to about 450 billion units of energy. At the time of
independence, out of total installed capacity of 1362 MW, hydro-power generation capacity
stood at 508 MW. The capacity has gone up to about 13,000 MW. an do will soon touch 22,000
MW, which is nearly one-fourth of the estimated potential.
NAVIGATION
Total navigable length of inland water-ways in the country is 15,783 kms. of which maximum
stretch lies in Uttar Pradesh. The waterways traffic movement has gone up progressively
from 0.11 m.t. in 1980-81 to 0.33 m.t. in 1994-95. The ten waterways have been identified
for being declared as national waterways and 3 have been already declared.
DRINKING WATER
The Govt launched the decade programmes in April, 1981 to achieve population coverage of
100 per cent water supply facilities in urban and rural areas, 80 per cent sanitation
facilities in urban areas and 25 percent sanitation facilities in rural areas respectively
by the end of the decade i.e., March, 1991. However, due to financial and other
constraints the targets originally set for the decade were scaled down to 90 percent in
the case of urban water supply and 85 percent in the case of rural water supply, 50
percent in the case of urban sanitation and 5 percent in the case of rural sanitation
respectively.
ACHIEVEMENTS
1) India is now surplus in food.
2) Irrigation potential created at 91.8 m.ha in 1997 as against 22.6m.ha in 1951.
3) Installed power generation capacity increased to more than 89,000 MW in 1997-98 as
against 1400 MW in 1951.
4) Power generation from HydroPower projects increased from 1362 MW at the time of
Independence to about 22,000 MW presently.
5) 85% of the population covered under Drinking water supply scheme.
6) Flood protection provided to 14 m.ha of floods prone area.
7) Severe drought conditions have become a thing of the past.
8) Total inland fish production increased to 2.08 million tonnes (mt) from just 0.22 mt in
1950-51.
9) Inland Waterways traffic movement increased from 0.11 m.t in 1980-81 to 0.33 m.t in
1994--95.
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