REVISED NATIONAL WATER
POLICY 2002 - A MAJOR INITIATIVE OF THE GOVERNMENT TO FOCUS PARTICIPATORY
APPROACH ON WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
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ON THE EVE
OF COMPLETION OF THREE YEARS OF THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT
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The National Water
Policy (Revised) has been unanimously approved by the National
Water Resources Council (NWRC) in its 5th meeting held
on April 1, 2002 which lays emphasis on the involvement of beneficiaries
and stakeholders right from the project planning stage and provide
focussed attention to participatory approach in Water Resources
Management. Policy Action Dialogue was initiated to involve the
Voluntary/non-Governmental organisations in the implementation
of the Action Plan prepared for the implementation of the National
Water Policy.
Accelerated Irrigation
Benefits Programmes (AIBP)
Central Loan Assistance
to States for completion of ongoing projects is being given under
the Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP), which was
started in 1996-97, so that benefits could start flowing early
with preference to projects benefiting Tribal/Drought Prone areas.
Since then the AIBP has been remodelled to include minor surface
irrigation schemes for giving the impetus to development of Minor
Irrigation of NE States, hilly States of Jammu & Kashmir,
Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Kalahandi-Bolangir-Koraput (KBK)
districts of Orissa. The AIBP has been further remodelled and
linked with economic reforms in the irrigation sector. States
under general category, agreeing to revise their water rates so
as to recover full O&M cost within a period of 5 years. An
amount of Rs. 5,738.00 crore has been released over the last three
years. Additional irrigation potential created in Major/Medium
irrigation projects is 8.5 lakh ha. during this period. During
the three years, 1999-2000, 2000-2001, 2001-2002, Central Loan
Assistance of Rs.170.7618 crore has been released for completion
of 2,453 Minor Irrigation Projects, creating an additional Irrigation
potential of 1.4 lakh ha. Fast Track Programme has been launched
fully funded by the Centre by providing 100 per cent loan, w.e.f.
February 1, 2002 to provide further impetus for completion of
major & medium irrigation projects, within one year (two working
seasons).
Solving Water Disputes
among the River Basin States
Consistent efforts
have been made to amicably settle issues relating to implementation
of the interim Award of the Supreme Court of the Cauvery Water
Dispute on sharing of water amongst the river basin States. In
the recently concluded 5th emergency meeting of the
Cauvery River Authority held on September 8, 2002 under the Chairmanship
of the Prime Minister, closely on the heels of Cauvery River Monitoring
Committee Meeting, the authority considered 0.8 tmcft release
of water to Mettur reservoir in Tamil Nadu from the reservoirs
of Karnataka in the wake of Supreme Court’s verdict to release
1.25 tmcft of water as an Interim award to meet the distress sharing
formula as proposed by the Central Water Commission (CWC).
Sharing of Ganga
Water
Joint measurements
during lean seasons (January-May) for the last three years is
being conducted to the satisfaction of both India and Bangladesh
as per the Indo-Bangladesh-Treaty, on sharing of Ganga waters.
Treaty with Nepal
Agreement has been
reached with Nepal to supply real time data in respect of five
hydrometric station located in Nepal on river Narayani, Kosi,
Rapti, Bagmati and Kankai for enabling the flood forecast with
increased warning time on Indian side. Joint Inception Report
for Sapta Kosi High Dam Multipurpose Project and Sun Kosi Storage-cum-Diversion
Scheme to provide for flood control benefits in North Bihar have
been finalised and the process for conducting field investigations
and preparation of DPR has been initiated. Detailed Project Report
(DPR) for 5600 MW Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project is nearing
completion.
Cooperation with
the Neighbouring countries
Exchange of Data
from the Flood Forecasting Network consisting of 35 hydro-meteorological/meteorological
stations on rivers common to India and Bhutan in operation with
funding from India was continued. A breakthrough in the India-China
relations was made with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) for provision of hydrological information on Brahmaputra
river in respect of 3 stations, namely, Nugesha, Yangcun and Nuxia
in flood season by China to India for improving the flood forecasting
in the North Eastern Region, which has been started since June
1, 2002. Discussions have been initiated for extending similar
facilities on the Sutlej river. Transmission of flood forecasting
data on major rivers like Ganga, Teesta, Brahmaputra and Barak
during the monsoon season from India to Bangladesh continued.
Other Projects
Sardar Sarovar Project
The Sardar Sarovar
Project (SSP) is an inter-State multi-purpose project on the river
Narmada in Gujarat. It is a joint venture between the States of
Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. The Narmada
Water Disputes Tribunal, considering the development of the water
resources of the basin as a whole, passed its award in 1979 allocating
sharing of water of Narmada and power of SSP. The construction
of SSP, which was stopped earlier due to petition of Narmada Bachao
Andolan in 1994, was again started after the directions of the
Supreme Court, an Action Plan for the completion of the Sardar
Sarovar Dam was finalised by a Committee (Review Committee for
Narmada Control Authority) consisting of the Union Minister of
Water Resources and the Chief Ministers of the participating States
of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra in August, 2001. The
finalised Action Plan Envisaged completion of Dam by 2005 also
included time frame for Rehabilitation Resettlement (R&R)
of the remaining project affected families for the various stages
of the construction of the dam. Accordingly, the NCA, after careful
consideration of clearance given; by Environment Sub-Group and
RR Sub-Group and fulfillment of the requirements, as per directions
of the Supreme Court, permitted raising of the Sardar Sarovar
Dam height further from existing EL 90 m to EL 95 m. The dam height
has since been raised to EL 95m with 3 m humps during July, 2002
for ensuring smooth flow of flood waters over the dam blocks.
To assist the Ganga
Basin States of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal and West Bengal,
a Centrally Sponsored Scheme namely "Critical anti erosion
works in Ganga Basin States" with a Central share of Rs.
110 crore taken up in January, 2001 to prevent loss of life and
property, and several anti erosion works have been implemented.
Pagladiya Dam Multipurpose Project, benefiting 40,000 ha. land
under irrigation and for flood control to 54,160 ha has been taken
up for execution by the Brahmaputra Board at an estimated cost
of Rs. 542.9 crore, as a Central Sector Scheme in Assam and is
scheduled to be completed in 7 years. A Hydrological and Water
Quality Data Bank for the Peninsular river systems has been set
up improving data quality, its availability, analysis and access
for use in water resources evaluation and planning of resources.
Exploratory tube wells, numbering 2,255, in various hydro-geological
environments of the country have been constructed for generating
scientific data to sustain drinking and irrigation requirements
of the country.
Tapping Ground Water
Resources
One hundred and fifty
six artificial recharge projects on pilot basis under the Central
Sector Scheme have been implemented with a total outlay of Rs.
22.69 crore in the areas where there has been decline in ground
water level and where there has been ground water quality deterioration.
Computer Data Centres at 26 offices are established and have upgraded
14 water quality laboratories having linkages with the State departments
and data integration of surface water domain have been upgraded.
Eleven areas throughout the country have been notified for regulation
of ground water development. A Web-site on roof top rainwater
harvesting has also been launched. More than 100 mass awareness
campaigns have been organised throughout the country in addition
to 40 training courses organised on rainwater harvesting. Vulnerable
areas have been identified which are affected with ground water
quality problems with respect to fluoride, nitrate, arsenic, etc.
Also a number of technical documents have been published on the
problems of ground water quality in the country. So far 1,344
tube wells have been constructed under the Accelerated Ground
Water Exploration in the five drought affected States of Rajasthan,
Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Orissa.
Command Area Development
Command Area Development
Program has been restructured to include improvement of system
deficiencies, drainage works, remodeling of tanks, reclamation
of waterlogged areas in irrigated commands, and on farm development
in hilly areas. The restructured CAD Program seeks active involvement
of the farmers in the development works under the programme. Involvement
of farmers in the management of irrigation under the Command Area
Development Program is an important component of the programme.
So far about 40,000 Water Users’ Associations covering an area
of 8 million hectares have been formed.
National Commission
for Integrated Water Resources Development
The National Commission
for Integrated Water Resources Development, has come out with
projections for availability and requirement of water in India
by the years 2010, 2025 and 2050 outlining development and management
strategies concerning various sectors and recommendations on local
and regional water resources development and management issues.
The recommendations of the Commission are being processed for
acceptance and many of them have been incorporated in the Action
Plan.
Central Water and
Power Research Station
The Central Water
and Power Research station has updated itself with the latest
research and development facilities. It has assisted in assessing
several intricate problems including the Water Quality Modelling
for the Tehri Dam and Designing Remedial measures to improve the
ecological environment of Chilka Lake in Orissa, winning the Ramsar
Wetland Conservation Award-2002, for the Chilka Lake Development
Authority.
Central Water Commission
Central Water Commission
has been providing assistance to the State Governments in flood
management by making on an average, 6000 timely flood forecasts
every year that are of high accuracy.
