Water is a basic element

1. Overview of Water Resources
Management in India
R. K. Jain
Chairman
Central Water Commission
and
Cauvery Water Management Authority

2. •2.4% land area
•4% of renewable water resource
(annual average precipitation)
•It means, we have more water
resources than the world average
Overview of water resources of India

3. •However, India has about 18% of World’s
population
•Therefore, per capita average availability is
very low (about 1460* m3 per annum (2019).
•Decreasing continuously due to continuous
increase in population.
* Based on Projected population of India in 2019 as 1369 Million. Average annual availability of water as 1999
BCM
Overview of water resources of India …

4. •Large spatial variation in the water availability
across the country
•Large temporal variation
•Not only within a year but also across the
years
•Spatial and temporal variations are likely to
further increase due to climate change
Challenges in Water Management

5. 5
Spatial Variability of Rainfall in INDIA
mm
Average 1,170
Max. 11,000 Mawsynram
Meghalaya
Min. 100 Western
Rajasthan
Precipitation during June to September 3000 BCM
(75%)

6. Basinwise Per Capita Water Availability
10000
8000
6000
4000
2000
0
12000
14000
16000
Per Capita Water Availability ( m3/year) in 2010
Water stress (<1700m3/year)
Water Scarce (<1000m3/year)
m3

7. 7
Temporal Variability of Rainfall
1000
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0 Winter
Monso
on
(Jan-
Feb)
Pre
Monso
on
(Mar-
May
Monsoon
(Jun-
Sep)
Post
Monso
on
(Oct-
Dec)
Rainfall
in
mm
All India
75%
Even in monsoon season, the rainy days are limited. On an average there
are about 20-25 rainy days for 120 days (June-Sep) resulting in rains for just
100-150 hours of rainfall.

8. •Creation and
infrastructure
maintenance of such
requires intensive
capital investment and significant
environmental costs.
Challenges in Water Management…
•Infrastructure of large storage
reservoirs and canals is required to
evenly distribute water resources in
space and time to ensure supply of
water, where and when required.

9. Challenges in Water Management…
•Increased Hydrological uncertainty
under climate change scenarios is
also likely to have huge financial,
social and environmental
implications.
•It is, therefore, imperative that
water resources are managed in
most efficient and judicious
manner.

10. Water Sector Governance In India

11. Constitutional Provisions
• Entry 17 under List II (State List) of 7th
Schedule:
– "Water, that is to say, water supplies, irrigation
and canals, drainage and embankments, water
storage and water power subject to the provisions
of Entry 56 of List I“
• Entry 56 of List I (Union List):
– "Regulation and development of inter-State rivers
and river valleys to the extent to which such
regulation and development under the control of
the Union is declared by Parliament by law to be
expedient in the public interest"

12. International River Basins
• Significant Water Resources of India are
borne by international river basins
• In spite of their strategic importance,
there is no separate provision for
development and regulation of water
resources of such river basins by the
Centre.

13. Water is Practically a State subject
• Most of the important rivers in India are
inter-state.
• There is provision in Constitution for
Centre to play role in development and
regulation of these rivers.
• However, Centre is playing only peripheral
role.
• Water has practically become a State
subject.

14. Water is practically a State subject
• Polavaram Project - AP Reorganization Act
2014
• 90. (2) It is hereby declared that it is
expedient in the public interest that the Union
should take under its control the regulation
and development of the Polavaram Irrigation
Project for the purposes of irrigation.
• (4) The Central Government shall execute the
project...

15. Water is practically a State subject
- Polavaram Project
• Polavaram Project
Authority
–Fully funded by the Centre.
–PPA is Executing the project through State
Government (for name sake).
–No say in decision making/execution

16. Water is practically a State subject
• Dam Safety Bill, 2019
• The Dam Safety Bill, 2019 provides for the
surveillance, inspection, operation, and
maintenance of all specified dams across
the country.
• Passed by Lok Sabha in August 2019 but
stuck up in Rajya Sabha.
• One particular State feels that control of
their dams will go to Centre.

17. Water is practically a State subject
• GRMB and KRMB – AP Reorganization
Act
– 85. (8) The functions of each Board shall
include:
• (a) the regulation of supply of water from the
projects to the successor States …
• (b) the regulation of supply of power
generated…

18. Water is practically a State subject …
• GRMB and KRMB – AP Reorganization
Act …
– 87. (1) The Boards shall ordinarily exercise
jurisdiction on Godavari and Krishna rivers in
regard to any of the projects over headworks
(barrages, dams, reservoirs, regulating
structures), part of canal network and
transmission lines necessary to deliver water or
power to the States concerned, as may be
notified by the Central Government …

19. Water is practically a State subject …
• GRMB and KRMB – Non Functional
– The Boards were established in 2014
– Jurisdiction is yet to be notified due to dispute
on this between the States
– The Boards are practically non functional

20. State of Affairs
• Planning and development of water
resources need to be done at basin scale
which is mostly lacking, particularly in case
of inter-state basins.
• The projects are planned, developed, and
managed by the States according to their
own priorities and needs, ignoring the
needs of other co-basin States which leads
to conflicts.

21. State of Affairs
• There is lack of trust between co-basin
States, resistance to transparency and
data sharing.
• States sometimes defy advice and
directions of Central Government,
Tribunals and even Supreme Court.

22. State of Affairs
• Many a times, the projects are planned
on political considerations rather than
on techno-economic considerations
which leads to sub-optimal utilization
of resources.
• Even the operation of projects is
governed by political considerations
rather than scientific principles, putting
life of public into danger.

23. State of Affairs
• Owing to subsidised water charges and
lack of volumetric metering, there is no
motivation for water users to use water
efficiently.
• The water use efficiencies are,
therefore, generally low and there is no
cost recovery, even to meet O&M
costs.

24. Water for Free: A dilemma
No motivation
for water
saving
Water
wastage
No cost
recovery
Water for
free
Infrastructure
crumbles
Rich and
Resourceful
people still
manage to get
water
Govt: To divert
attention and
douse fire
Poor people buy
water from
tankers (agitate)
Depletion
of
resource
Resource
scarcity
and
water
supplies
start
getting
affected

25. Cooperation to Conflicts
• There are about 160 inter-state river
water agreements made in the past which
play significant role in management of
water resources of the country.
• It shows that spirit of cooperation has
been prevailing.
• However, with passage of time, spirit of
conflict has replaced spirit of cooperation.

26. Conflicts in Water Sector
• Between co-basin States
• Between various types of water users
• Flood Moderation and Conservation
needs

27. Conflicts in Water Sector
(mostly
• Between Environmentalists and
project proponents
• Between Govt and People
oustees)

28. Results
• There are:
– Mismanagement
– Wastage of resources
– Public at large is deprived of benefits

29. Private Sector Participation
• The participation of private Sector in
WR projects is almost absent except
for Hydropower projects.
• Apart from cost-recovery issues, the
time and cost over-runs due to
are also
litigations, agitations etc.
deterrents.

30. Participation of Private Sector
Rewards > Risk;
for pvt sector
Investment

31. What needs to be done

32. Centre Has to Play Pro-active Role
• There are very few cases where Central
Government plays pro-active role in
management of water resources.
• However, experience shows that in such
cases, resources are better managed,
conflicts are reduced and decisions are
taken and implemented on the basis of
prescribed principles rather than on
political whims and fancies.

33. Centre Has to Play Pro-active Role …
• In order to achieve most efficient and
judicious utilization of water resources of
the country, there is need of creating
empowered river basin organizations led
by Central government.
• Centre should have even more control on
water resources of International river
basins due to their strategic significance.

34. Private Sector Participation
• There is need to create environment for
increased private sector participation.
• It will ensure that projects are planned
and developed in judicious manner on
techno-economic considerations with full
capital and operation cost recoveries
ensuring financial sustainability and
better water-use efficiencies.

35. Private Sector Participation
• Deserving groups may be provided
subsidies separately funded by the
government.
• Private Sector participation will ensure
that projects / interventions are
prioritized according to their economic
efficiencies.
• Viability gap funding, where required.