The Hydrology Project established India's Hydrological Information System by developing networks of hydro-meteorological stations, web-based data management systems, and tools for water resources planning and management. It involved 29 agencies across 13 states and 8 central government organizations. Key achievements include establishing surface and groundwater observation networks, databases for water quality and quantity data, decision support systems for integrated planning, and capacity building for water resource professionals. The project helped shift from isolated development to comprehensive basin-scale planning and management of water resources.

1. HYDROLOGY PROJECT
Crucial for India
An Initiative By
The Ministry of Water Resources
Government of India
Supported By

2. Hydrology Project- Building Water
Resources Information Backbone
Maintaining an institutionalised arrangement for setting
up a robust and transparent hydrologic database covering
both surface and ground water resources is an essential
prerequisite for promoting and sustaining water resources
planning and management, be it in the public and private
domains. The World Bank aided Hydrology Project has
been central to efforts in India to improve the planning,
development, and management of water resources, as well
as flood forecasting and reservoir operations in real-time. The
project having completed two phases (Phase-I since 1995
to 2003 and phase –II from 2006 till 2014) has successfully
established the backbone of a comprehensive Hydrological
Information System (HIS) in India providing scientifically
verified, uniformly accepted and widely accessed
hydrological records covering all aspects of the hydrological
cycle. More than the improved and standardised hydro-meteorological
and geo-hydrological monitoring brought
the project was instrumental in setting in a paradigm shift
from relatively isolated water resources development,
towards comprehensive planning development and
management of water resources in a river basin context.
The project established a platform for water agencies in
India to learn from each other, which encouraged them
to modernize existing hydro-meteorological monitoring
systems, move from manual to Real-Time Data Acquisition
Systems (RTDAS), and develop tools for Integrated Water
Resources Planning and Management with the objective to
enhance the productivity and cost effectiveness of water
related investments.
The States which have benefitted from the Phase-I are
Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh,
Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala,
Maharashtra, Madhya
Pradesh, Orissa and Tamil
Nadu; and the 6 central
agencies involved are Ministry
of Water Resources (MoWR),
Central Water Commission
(CWC), Central Ground Water
Board (CGWB), Central Water
and Power Research Station (CWPRS), National Institute
of Hydrology (NIH) and India Meteorological Department
(IMD). Joining phase-II were four new states including
Himachal Pradesh, Puducherry and Punjab and two central
agencies are Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB)
and Central Pollution Control Board – (CPCB). Overall, the
Hydrology Project has so far involved 29 implementing
agencies in 13 states (State Surface Water and Groundwater
Departments) and 8 central government agencies.
Highlights on key achievements of the Hydrology Project are:
1. Development of India’s Hydrological
Information System (HIS)
HIS includes the development of monitoring networks of
hydro-meteorological and groundwater observation stations
and data management systems for surface water, groundwater
and water quality data.
(i) Networks of Hydro-meteorological Stations
Extended observation networks for measuring hydro-meteorological
and geo-hydrological parameters with
improved technology for reliable and accurate measurement –
including automation with RTDAS stations, which transmit
data directly to data processing centres - were developed
in various parts of the country. The RTDAS for hydrological
monitoring include radar type water level recorders for
rivers and reservoirs, snow gauges, automatic weather
stations, Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCP), and
Digital Water Level Recorders (DWLR) equipped with
telemetry for groundwater observation wells. Real-time
monitoring of water quality data has also been initiated by
CPCB and CWC under the project at few critical locations on
the Ganges and Yamuna Rivers.
Data Centre in Himachal Pradesh Flow measurement using ADCP River gauging station

3. (ii) Web-based Data Management System
Web-based software have been developed to modernize
the desktop based data entry, processing, storage and
dissemination systems developed under HP-I into a centralized
database management system, in order to ensure uniformity
in HIS procedures across the States and Regions and release
the burden of software maintenance for State Agencies. Users
in State and Central Agencies are now enabled to enter and
process data on-line, within their own virtual data repository,
and require only a computer with internet connection to
upload and access their data. The software developed during
the project tenure are (a) Surface Water Information System
(e-SWIS), (b) Groundwater Estimation and Management System
(e-GEMS), and (c) GIS based web-Portal for Water Quality Data
(e-WQIS).
Surface Water: E-SWIS
(data entry, storage and
In addition, the CWC in a joint venture with Indian Space
Research Organization (ISRO) is developing a Web Enabled
Water Resources Information System called India-WRIS WebGIS.
The main objective of this system is provide a Single Window’
solution for comprehensive, authoritative and consistent data
& information of India’s water resources along with allied
natural resources in a standardized national GIS framework
(WGS-84 datum and LCC projection) tools to search, access,
visualize, understand and analyze the data for assessment,
monitoring, planning, development and finally Integrated
Water Resources Management (IWRM). As the development
goes further, it is envisaged that all the web-based software
developed under the HP-II will all merge into India-WRIS
WebGIS to make more comprehensive Information System.
(iii) Data Use
The HIS data was accessed by many public, private and civil
society organisations. The diverse agencies demanding data
included government departments, local government bodies,
water utilities, industries, research institutions and farmers.
These agencies used data for such divergent purposes like
water resources planning for irrigation, design of varied
structures, assessment of hydropower potential, as well as
settlement of water disputes.
2. River Basin Planning and
Water Resources Management Tools
The Project developed and implemented several Decision
Support Systems (DSS) for water resources planning, flood
forecasting and real-time reservoir operation systems for
flood management, and Hydrologic Design Aids (HDA).
These tools enable decision makers and water resources
management agencies to improve integrated water resources
development planning and management for river basins
and to enhance productivity and cost effectiveness of water
related investments.
DSS (P) Software Dashboard
(i) Decision Support System (DSS) for Water
Resources Planning and Management
Lead facilitated by NIH and assisted by consultants, an
extensive DSS for integrated water resources planning,
development and management was developed and
implemented. The DSS (P) modules include surface water
planning; groundwater use planning; integrated reservoir
operation; irrigation management; drought monitoring,
assessment and management; planning of conjunctive use of
surface and groundwater; and water quality management. On
pilot basis, the DSS framework was set-up in 13 river basins
across 9 States. The framework basically includes a dashboard
to display, analyze and test various water use and development
scenarios in GIS and tabular platforms. This dashboard is
license free and can be used to process data on a GIS platform.
It further includes proprietary water resources system and
(distributed) rainfall-runoff models for hydrological modelling
and water allocation simulation. The DSS-P has supported
the understanding of the impacts of various interventions
and decisions such as recommendations for new structures
to augment drinking water supply, irrigation management
through enhanced reservoir operations, opportunities for crop
diversification, development of plans for conjunctive use of
surface water and groundwater along with artificial recharge,
and sustainable groundwater management. Kerala has
championed DSS-P applications through 17 applications and
plans to upscale the applications to all river basins in Kerala.
(ii) Hydrological Design Aids (HDA):
The CWC took the lead with support from consultants,
Hydrologic Design Aids (HDA) software has been developed
for use by Surface Water Agencies. The software facilitates
and expedites the
hydrological design
of infrastructures (e.g.
design flood analysis for
gauged and un-gauged
catchments), water
resources availability
assessments and
reservoir sedimentation
analysis, and would also, for the first time, provide the basis
for uniform project design approaches among States and
between States and Central Agencies. The HDA software has
in-built facilities to integrate GIS and Excel type functionalities.
Part of the data analysis and processing functionalities
included in the previously employed HYMOS system has also
been incorporated into the HDA.
(MoWR: IndiaWRIS)
Web-based sharing of non-classified data
http://www.india-wris.nrsc.gov.in
dissemination)
Ground Water: E-GEMS
(groundwater estimation
and management system)
Water Quality: E-WQIS
(GIS based Water Quality
Portal)
Hydrology Project - 2

4. (iii) Stream Flow Forecasting and Reservoir
Operation Systems for Flood Management
For the first time in India, stream flow forecasting and real-time
reservoir operation is able to provide a significant lead time for
early flood warning and disaster preparedness, even for smaller
catchments. The system makes use of seasonal and three days
satellite based precipitation forecasts (Regional Integrated
Multi-hazard Early Warning System - RIMES) and integrates real-time
hydrological information with hydrological, hydrodynamic
and reservoir operation models. The system facilitates the
scheduling of reservoir releases and the operation of hydropower
turbines and spillway gates, the issuance of flood warnings, and
the deployment of area evacuation measures. The Bhakra-Beas
Management Board (BBMB) makes extensive use of these tools
for operational planning of the Bhakra and Pong dams in the
Sutlej and Beas river basins (Real-Time Decision Support System
- RTDSS). The Maharashtra Surface Water Department uses a
similar system in the Upper Krishna and Upper Bhima river basins
for the integrated (flood) management of 42 reservoirs (Real-
Time Stream Flow Forecasting and Reservoir Operation System -
Real Time Flood Streamflow Forecasting and Reservoir Operation
System - Upper Krishna & Bhima Basins
RTSF & ROS). The system helps with minimizing flood impacts
in the lower reaches of the river basins by minimizing the
sudden flow releases from reservoirs which has been one of the
major reasons for downstream floods. BBMB has been able to
improve its management of Bhakra and Pong dams during the
2013 monsoon season, to the extent that no flooding occurred,
whereas in 1988 severe flooding occurred at the end of the
monsoon season under the same total inflow conditions in
both years.
3. Groundwater Management
Aquifer Mapping
CGWB has commenced the National Aquifer Mapping Program
(NAQUIM) to prepare aquifer management plans and introduce
participatory community groundwater management across
the nation. Under the Hydrology Project, 6 pilot projects were
selected to test advanced geophysical survey techniques and
guide the implementation of the National Aquifer Mapping
Program. The pilot projects included the organization of
existing databases, hydro-geological modeling and field
tests, geophysical investigations and exploratory drilling.
Geophysical tests involving advanced technologies, including
heliborne Transient Electro Magnetic (TEM) geophysical
surveys, were carried out for the first time in India. The Heli-
TEM method energizes the ground by means of sending a
Heliborne TEM geophysical survey
current pulse in the transmitter loop hanging in the air and
towed below a helicopter by a rope. The difference in the
return signal provides the extent of aquifers.
Water Quality Monitoring
Water quality data collection and management formed a key
focus of the project. Activities have included consolidation
and upgrading of laboratories in addition to establishing new
facilities. Some pioneering work has also been initiated with
CPCB in this direction.
4. Capacity Building
Considering the huge human resource support requirement
on HIS, the project designed and implemented a nationwide
capacity building strategy and action plan. Training Framework
was established early in the Project and Training Coordinators
were appointed. Central Agencies (CWC, CGWB, NIH and CWPRS)
played a pivotal role in providing a variety of training courses,
including Training-of-Trainer (ToT) courses for the various HP-II
Implementing Agencies. Training courses provided under the
Project, covered a gamut of topics, including real-time data
dissemination, DSS-P, MIKE BASIN, MIKE SHE, WQ analysis,
geo-informatics, telemetry, data processing, HDA, RTDAS and
RTDSS, drought management, O&M protocols, etc. In addition
to the various trainings, guidance was also provided to all the
IAs regarding their transition to sustainable institutions and
change management. A series of HIS awareness workshops
were conducted and a manual was developed and shared with
all agencies to take up HIS promotion activities forward. Some
specific visual tools (posters, brochures, pamphlets) were also
designed for wider circulation. As HIS data are being widely used
by various stakeholders, Hydrological Data User Groups (HDUGs)
were formed in all HP-II implementing states and meetings are
being conducted with the user groups on regular basis.
DSS (P) Training Workshop
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT
Project Website : http://hydrology-project.gov.in/
PCS: Commissioner - 011-2436 4724 (commgwhp-mowr@nic.in)
Avanish Kant (Sr. Hydro-geologist) - 011-2346 7089