1. WATER RESOURCES
DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA
- An Overview
by
R. JEYASEELAN
CHAIRMAN, CENTRAL WATER COMMISSION

2.  The Resource
 Achievements
 Future Scenario
 Actions Needed

3. Rainfall
Average Annual Rainfall - 1170 mm
Maximum Average Annual Rainfall - 11000 mm
(Cherrapunji)
Minimum Average Annual Rainfall - 100 mm
(Western Rajasthan)

4. Spatial Variation of Rainfall

5. Temporal Variation
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
Winter
Monsoon
(Jan-Feb)
Pre
Monsoon
(Mar-May
Monsoon
(Jun-Sep)
Post
Monsoon
(Oct-Dec)
Rainfallinmm
All India

6. Water Availability
(In Billion cubic metre)
Total Precipitation : 4000
Total Water Availability : 1869
Total Utilisable Water : 1122
 Surface Water - 690
 Ground Water - 432

7. Per Capita Availability
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
1951 1991 2001 2025 2050
WaterAvailibilty(Cubicmeterper
capitaperyear)
Water Stress Line
Water Scarcity Line

8. Achievements

9. Irrigation Development
In 1951
16%
In 2002
67%
Potential Created as % of Ultimate Irrigation Potential

10. Irrigation Sources
39%
13%
48%
Major & Medium Irrigation
Minor (Surface Water)
Minor(Ground Water)

11. Storage Created
1. Pre Plan : 15.64
2. Up to the end of VIII Plan : 176.73
3. Up to the end of IX Plan : 213.00
4. Under construction : 75.42
5. Under consideration : 108.00
(In billion cubic metre)

12. Per Capita Storage
262
753
1111
1964
3145
6103
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
Russia
Brazil
USA
China
South
Africa
India
PerCapitaStorage(cubicmetre)

13. Future Scenario

14. Water Demand
Total Anticipated Demand
(In Billion cubic metre)
In 2010 :813 710 *
In 2025 :1093 843 *
In 2050 :1447 1180 *
Total Utilisable Water :1122 (690+432)
S.W G.W
* With improved management

15. Water Availability
(In Billion cubic metre)
Total Precipitation : 4000
Total Water Availability : 1869
Total Utilisable Water : 1122
 Surface Water - 690
 Ground Water - 432

16. Demands of Various Sectors
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1997 2010 2025 2050
Demand(Billioncubicmetre)
Evaporation Losses
Environment
(Ecology)
Inland Navigation
Power
Industries
Domestic
Irrigation

17. Demands of Various Sectors (in %)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
1997 2010 2025 2050
Evaporation Losses
Environment
(Ecology)
Inland Navigation
Power
Industries
Domestic
Irrigation

18. Ground Water Exploitation

19. Goal
 Pace of development to match with
increasing water demands
 Adoption of better management
practices

20. Development & Management
Integrated approach with due
consideration to major, medium, minor
(both surface and ground water)
schemes as well as traditional system of
water conservation

21. Efficient Use of Water
 Optimal water utilization
 Minimization of water losses

22. People’s Participation
 Awareness of scarcity value of water
 Promotion of water conservation
 Involvement of beneficiaries & other
stakeholders in project planning & at
subsequent stages of development
 Participatory approach in management of water
resources for diverse uses

23. Objectives
 Better understanding of issues
 Bringing about consensus
 Adopting the best suited approach

24. The Gap
Availability and Utilization
Potential - Created and Utilized
Demand and Availability

25. Availability and Utilization
Excessive utilization of surface water
 Water logging problems
 Salinity problems

26. Land Use
 Geographical area : 328.73 Mha
 Cultivable area : 180.35 Mha
 Net cultivated area : 141.10 Mha
 Net irrigated area : 54.68 Mha
 Rainfed cultivated area : 86.42 Mha

27. Sources of Irrigation
2.89 (5%)
2.53 (5%)
11.55 (21%)
15.98 (29%)
21.72 (40%)
Canals Tanks Tube Wells
Other Wells Other Sources

28. Major, Medium & Minor Projects – Irrigation Potential
•P.C.* upto 1951 : 22.6 Mha# (9.7 Maj & Med & 12.9 Minor )
•P.C. upto IX Plan : 93.95 Mha (37.05 Maj & Med and 56.90 Minor)
Population Potential Food Production
(Million) (Mha.) (Million Tonnes)
1951 361 22.60 51
2001 1027 93.95 @ 211
*P.C : Potential Created @ Potential Utilised : 80.06 Mha
# Mha : Million Hectare

29. Some Issues to be considered for
improving Irrigation Efficiency :
 Application of Sprinkler and Drip Irrigation, where applicable
 Canal Automation & Volumetric Measurement of supply
 Benchmarking of Irrigation Systems
 Water Audit / Budgeting
 Appropriate pricing of water

30. Actions Needed
 Pace of water resources
development to match with the
increasing water demands
 Adoption of better management
practices
 Investigation and research for
sustainable utilization of more &
more available water

31. Efficient Utilization of
Water Resources
in Irrigation

32. Irrigation Efficiency
 No realistic national level
assessment of overall irrigation
efficiencies
 The overall efficiencies obtained
(guess- estimation)
 35-40 percent in surface water
 65-70 percent in ground water.

33. Irrigation Efficiency
 Irrigation efficiency in surface water use
considered to be low
 Every developmental activity has some
problems
• Irrigation no exception
 Irrigation efficiencies in other developing regions
such as Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, Near
East & North Africa, East Asia also in same range
 Scope for improvement in irrigation
efficiency exists

34. Reasons for low irrigation efficiencies
Main reasons for low efficiency:
 Excessive seepage loss
 Inefficient water management
• Lack of maintenance
- Inadequate funds
- Low water charges
• Inequitable and untimely supplies
- Lack of operation plan
- Over use of water by head reach farmers
- Shift towards high water consuming crops
 Lack of involvement of stakeholders

35. NATIONAL WATER POLICY-2002
WATER ALLOCATION PRIORITIES
 In the planning and operation of systems, water
allocation priorities should be broadly as follows:
 Drinking water
 Irrigation
 Hydro Power
 Ecology
 Agro-Industries and non-agricultural industries
 Navigation and Other Uses
However, the priorities could be modified or added
if warranted by the area/region specific
considerations.

36. CONSERVATION OF WATER
 Efficiency of utilisation in all the diverse uses of
water should be optimised and an awareness of
water as a scarce resource should be fostered.
 Conservation consciousness should be promoted
through education, regulation, incentives and
disincentives.
 The resources should be conserved and the
availability augmented by maximising retention,
eliminating pollution and minimising losses. For
this, measures like lining in the conveyance
system, modernization and rehabilitation of
existing systems , recycling and re-use of treated
effluents and techniques like drip and sprinkler
may be promoted.

37. PROJECT PLANNING
 There should be an integrated and multi-
disciplinary approach to the planning,
formulation, clearance and implementation of
projects, including catchment area treatment
and management, environmental and
ecological aspects, the rehabilitation of
affected people and command area
development.
 The drainage system should form an integral
part of any irrigation project right from the
planning stage.
 The involvement and participation of
beneficiaries and other stakeholders should be
encouraged right from the project planning
stage itself.

38. FINANCIAL AND PHYSICAL SUSTAINABILITY
 Besides creating additional water resources facilities
for various uses, adequate emphasis needs to be
given to the physical and financial sustainability of
existing facilities.
 There is a need to ensure that the water rates for
various uses should be fixed in such a way that they
cover at least the operation and maintenance
charges of providing the service initially and a part
of the capital costs subsequently.
 These rates should be linked directly to the quality
of service provided. The subsidy on water rates to
the disadvantaged and poorer sections of the
society should be well targeted and transparent.