Water Resource Management (WRM) involves planning and managing water resources under specific regulations, addressing acute water shortages, especially as the global population grows. The main sources of potable water are precipitation, with significant groundwater usage for agriculture in India, while water stress indices indicate serious scarcity issues below certain thresholds. Effective WRM requires community participation, legislation, and innovative solutions like water budgeting and rainwater harvesting to enhance sustainability and security in water supply.

1. WRM
1

2. What is WRM?
WRM is activity of
• Planning,
• Development
• Supply
• Management
of resource under
defined policies and
regulations
2

3. Central Groundwater
Board (CGWB)
State Water Resources
Departments
Irrigation Department
Agriculture
Department
District Rural
Development Agency
(DRDA)
Agencies Involved in WRM
3

4. In 20th century use of
water grew
6 times
By mid of century,
there will be an
addition of 3 billion
people
1/3 of world may
face acute water
shortage
Millions of people in world live on
less than 3 gallons each day, resulting in
sanitation problems
1 in 5 doesn‘t have
access to safe
drinking water
A child dies from a
water related disease
every 15 seconds
UN Report
4

5. Water A Mobile Resource
Falls from clouds
Runs along
streams
Seeps into
soil
Flows through
aquifer
Returns to
Clouds
World’s largest & natural water recycling system
Hydrological Cycle 5

6. 6
Main source of potable water on
Earth
•Is not rivers,
•Is not Groundwater aquifers,
•Is not lakes, wells or streams,
But it is precipitation in form of
Rain & Snow
In India, more than 80 per cent
of groundwater is consumed
for agriculture
For Drinking :0.007% of water on
Earth

7. 15% do not get sufficient drinking water in summers
96% store drinking water
7

8. Concept of Water Stress Index
(Developed by Dr. Malin Falkenmark, Swedish Hydrologist)
For minimum
needed water in
a country, fresh
water availability
on an annual per
capita basis should
exceed 2000 cu.m.
Quantity 2000
cu.m to 1700
cu.m. will have
occasional / local
water problems
Below this
threshold,
countries
experience
periodic or
regular water
stress
Below 1000 cu.m
per capita per year
is chronic scarcity
8

9. Toxic Groundwater poses Grave Risks
9

10. Consequence
Fast depletion in water levels
Quality deterioration
Unequal distribution
High rainfall areas facing water shortage
Water logging
Industrial pollution
Need/Requirement
For/of Self Governance/ Regulations
Ground Water law
10

11. Basic knowledge of source
Community participation
Coordination among Stakeholders
Need of effective legislation (land vs Water Rights)
Self regulation for self reliance
Preventive measures / corrective measures
Scientific approach
(Rainfall, Slope, Land cover, Soil and Formation)
Change in Social behavior
Pricing of resource (no pricing, no management)
11

12. Rainwater Harvesting
12

13. Is Water Harvesting 13
A Solution ?
An Alternative ?
A sustainable source ? or
A secured supply system ?
No
Solution
lies in
“Water
Budgeting”
Which will
provide
“Water
Security”

14. Recharge
Natural Recharge: is
ability of runoff to
penetrate in to
subsurface of its own.
This process is very
slow and hence,
necessitates a
activity
Artificial recharge: to
allow infiltration of
maximum possible
runoff in to
underground aquifers
at an enhanced pace
14

15. Recharge Where?
Where ground water levels are declining on
regular basis
Where availability of ground water is inadequate
in lean months
Where due to rapid urbanization, infiltration of rain
water into subsoil has decreased drastically and
recharging of ground water has diminished
15

16. Urban Areas:
Recharge pit / trench
Tube well/ Well Recharge
Rural Areas:
Check dams & Under ground check dams (UGCD)
Recharge wells/Tube wells
Nala plugging
Percolation Tanks / wells
Roof Water Harvesting
Bore blasting to develop secondary porosity
Recharge through trench
Recharge How?
16

17. After Recharge ? 17

18. Needs Community Mobilization for
• Managing Water supply system & sanitation
• Defining roles & responsibilities of Stake holders
• Framing rules and regulations at local level to check misuse of water
resources and damages to water supply infrastructure by serving
(Self-Regulations)
• Capacity building of community
• Strengthening water supply system by water harvesting, conservation &
recharge
• Encouraging community to implement modern irrigation practices
• Encourage community to re-use and recycle wastewater
• Quality monitoring of water sources
“Water Budgeting” through people’s
participation 18

19. Drinking Water Security
• A defined role and responsibility to be
assigned to institutions with clear
guidance for capacity building at grass
root level
• Drinking water reserves to be planned
on long term basis by ensuring
sustainability through recharge
• Ensuring supply from surface sources
at time of water shortages
To encourage
community to
prepare their
localized
water budget
for attaining
water security
19

20. Sector Aspects Required measures
House Water usage habits Curb common wastages
Schools Basic knowledge not imparted Awareness
Institutions Lack of coordination between
departments and agencies
working in this sector
Water resource to be treated as a
single unit mineral resource with
multiple users
Corporate Chemical contamination, improper
effluent disposal (Rivers, Streams,
lakes)
Stop Chemical contamination by
proper effluent disposal after tertiary
treatment
Recreational
activities
Water usage in amusement parks,
swimming pools, water parks
Water usage should be assessed and
maximum recycling shall be done for
such activities
Stakeholders
20

21. Stakeholders
21
Sector Aspects Required measures
Technocrats Arranging seminars, Conferences,
workshops at National & Global
level with so called water managers
(not with end users)
Focus on demand side management
in coordination with community at
grass root level to define plans
considering geo-economics of area
Legal
System
Courts should at times take suo-
moto actions to ensure control on
misuse of resource
NGO’s ___ % ??? NGOs are working for their
livelihood in name of working
against social evils and ignoring their
moral duties
Identify good NGO's who can work
for better management of water
resource

22. Water Scarcity
2