TRADITIONAL WATER HARVESTING METHODS – THEIR ROLE AND SCOPE IN CORRECTING INDIAN WATER SECTOR Part I

Vivek P. KapadiaEmail : vivekpkapadia@gmail.com

Presented at One Day Woirkshop on Water Conservation organised by

The Institution of Engineers (India), Gujarat State Center, Ahmedabad

DEDICATED TO

WATER MANAGEMENT FORUM

THE INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS (INDIA)

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FRESH WATER IS REALLY SCARCE

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HYDROLOGY : AN OVERVIEW

Distribution of Type of Water on Earth

Sea Water97%

Non-salty Water

3%

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Distribution of Non-salty Water

Snow at Poles79%

Surface Water

1%

Ground Water20%

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Distribution of Surface waterMoisture

in Air (Humidity)

8%

Tanks and Reservoirs

53%

Rivers1% Moisture

in Soil38%

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INDIA IS A WATER STRESSED COUNTRY

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• Against estimated annual precipitation of about 4,000 Billion

Cubic Meters (BCM) including snow fall, India’s total annual

renewable fresh water resources are estimated at 1953 BCM.

• In 1901 India’s per capita water availability was 4555 cubic

meters per year - decreasing from 3008 cu.m. in 1951 to 1981

cu.m. in 1971 to 1283 cu.m. by the year 1991 - with India’s

projected population of 1146 millions, 1333 millions and 1581

millions by the year 2010, 2025 and 2050, the per capital water

availability (AWR) will be 943 cu.m., 814 cu.m. and 686 cu.m.

respectively.

WATER RESOURCES OF INDIA

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• According to the leading Swedish expert, Dr. Malin

Falkenmark, the ‘annual water resources per capita’ (AWR) of

1,700 m3 means that only occasional and local stress may be

experienced; an AWR of less than 1000 m3 indicates a condition

of stress and the AWR of 500 m3 or less means a serious

constraint and a threat to life

• Although, India’s population is about 17% of global population,

its rivers possess just 4% of the total average annual run-off in

the rivers of the world. China has 22% of the global population

but has 8% of world’s water resource.

WATER RESOURCES OF INDIA

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WATER RESOURCES OF INDIA

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WATER RESOURCES OF INDIASl. No.

Name of the River Basin Average annual availability in Cubic 

Km per Year

1. Indus (up to Border) 73.312. a) Ganga 525.02

b) Brahmaputra, Barak & Others 585.60

3. Godavari 110.54

4. Krishna 78.125. Cauvery 21.366. Pennar 6.327. East Flowing Rivers Between Mahanadi & Pennar 22.52

8. East Flowing Rivers Between Pennar and Kanyakumari 16.46

9. Mahanadi 66.8810. Brahmani & Baitarni 28.4811. Subernarekha 12.3712. Sabarmati 3.8113. Mahi 11.0214. West Flowing Rivers of Kutch, Sabarmati including Luni 15.1015. Narmada 45.6416. Tapi 14.8817. West Flowing Rivers from Tapi to Tadri 87.41

18. West Flowing Rivers from Tadri to Kanyakumari 113.5319. Area of Inland drainage in Rajasthan desert NEG.20. Minor River Basins Draining into &  31.00

Total 1869.3511

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LAND RESOURCES OF INDIA

Geographical Area 328.73 

Forest 67.8

Not available for cultivation 41.56

Other uncultivated land 28.36

Fallow Land 24.10

Net area sown  142.02

Million hectare 

It is estimated that about 174 million hectares of land (53%) suffers from different types and varying degrees of degradation. About 800 hectare of arable land are lost annually due to ingress of ravines. 

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IRRIGATION POTENTIAL Plan-wise irrigation potential through various irrigation projects

Plan Period Potential (cumulative) 

created (Mha) Potential (cumulative) 

utilised (Mha) 

Pre-Plan period 22.60 22.60

First Plan (1951-56) 26.26 25.04

Second Plan (1956-61) 29.08 27.80

Third Plan (1961-66) 33.57 32.17

Annual Plans (1966-69) 37.10 35.75

Fourth Plan (1969-74) 44.20 42.19

Fifth Plan (1974-78) 52.02 48.46

Annual Plans (1978-80) 56.61 52.64

Sixth Plan (1980-85) 65.22 58.82

Seventh Plan (1985-90) 76.53 68.59

Annual Plans (1990-92) 81.09 72.86

Eighth Plan (1992-97) 86.26 77.24

Ninth Plan (1997-2002) 93.95 80.06

Tenth Plan (upto 2004-05) 98.84 83.5613

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NATURAL VARIATIONS

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NATURAL VARIATIONS

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NATURAL VARIATIONS

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NATURAL VARIATIONS

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NATURAL VARIATIONS

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Concentrated approach – large reservoir based – can address needs of only a part of agriculturable land – the remaining land needs to be addressed which is larger than the irrigated by large reservoirs

Usable water is really scarce – diverting river water can not address the needs – dams constructed on all rivers but all agriculturable land can not be irrigated

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Other issues of large reservoir based irrigation systems – waterlogging, riparian rights, environmental aspects, etc. worth considering

Need to understand the need of addressing the need of agriculturable land not served by large reservoirs – depending only on groundwater not sufficient