Q6 (b) Assess the utility of recently developed " Composite Water

Management Index" in efficient management of water resources

in India.
STRUCTURE:
NITI Aayog has developed a Composite Water Management Index as a
useful tool to assess and further improve the performance in efficient
management of water resources.
The index would provide useful information for the States and also for the
concerned Central Ministries/Departments enabling them to formulate
and implement suitable strategies for better management of water resources.
The Index has 28 key Performance Indicators (KPIs) covering irrigation
status, drinking water and other water-related sectors.
It is targeted to prepare the index for States/Union Territories from the
current financial year (2017-18).
States performance will be judged on the basis of 28 basic indicators
including water use efficiency, irrigation status, groundwater recharge,
availability of water for rural and urban areas for drinking, water shed
development and other sustainable practices in water based sectors.
Different weightage is allocated to different performance indicators to arrive at a
composite index. The scorecard carries both qualitative and quantitative
indicators in 2016-2017.
The WMI is one of the six indices which the Niti Aayog has introduced
for ranking states. The others include health, education, energy
efficiency, agricultural reforms and digital transaction.
This information was given by Union Minister of State for Water Resources,
River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan in a
written reply in Lok Sabha today.
BACKGROUND:
The annual precipitation including snowfall, which is the main source of water in
India, is about 4000 billion cubic meters (BCM). However, the average annual
rainfall varies considerably from one region of the country to another.
The North-East region receives about 1000 cm and Western Rajasthan gets less
than 10 cm of annual precipitation. Further, most of the rainfall occurs during the
season of south-west monsoon in four months i.e. from June to September.
About 53.3 percent of total precipitation is lost due to evapotranspiration which
leaves a balance of 1869 BCM water in the country.
Further, about 40 per cent of the potential available can't be put to beneficial use
due to topographical constraints and uneven distribution of water resources over
space and time.
 Thus, utilizable water potential of the country is estimated to be 1123 BCM
consisting of 690 BCM of surface water and 433 BCM of ground water.
Availability of both surface and ground water varies from one region to another.
In view of limitations on availability of water resources and rising demand for
water, sustainable management of water resources has acquired critical
importance.
The Index has a set of 28 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) covering irrigation
status, drinking water and other water-related sectors. Critical areas such as
source augmentation; major and medium irrigation; watershed development;
participatory irrigation practices; sustainable on-farm water use practices; rural
drinking water; urban water supply and sanitation; and policy & governance have
been accorded high priority. The index would serve as a useful tool to track
performance in the water sector and take corrective measures timely for
achieving better outcomes thereby meeting the citizens expectations
satisfactorily.
Sustainable development of water resources
It refers to reducing the usage of water and recycling of waste water for different
purposes such as cleaning, manufacturing, and agricultural irrigation in such a way
that water demands of future generations are not hampered.
1. Social Solutions:
Water conservation programs are typically initiated at the local level, by either
municipal water utilities or regional governments. Common strategies include public
outreach campaigns, tiered water rates (charging progressively higher prices as
water use increases), or restrictions on outdoor water use such as lawn watering and
car washing.
Cities in dry climates often require or encourage the installation of xeriscaping or
natural landscaping in new homes to reduce outdoor water usage.
2. Household/Domestic Solutions:
Water-saving technology for the home includes:
a. Low-flow shower heads sometimes called energy-efficient shower heads as they
also useless energy
b. Low-flush toilets and composting toilets. These have a dramatic impact in the
developed world, as conventional Western toilets use large volumes of water.
c. Saline water (sea water) or rain water can be used for flushing toilets.
d. Wastewater reuse or recycling systems, allowing
e. High-efficiency clothes washers
f. Weather-based irrigation controllers
g. Using low flow taps in wash basins
Water can also be conserved by landscaping with native plants and by changing
behavior, such as shortening showers and not running the faucet while brushing
teeth.
3. Commercial Solutions:
Many water-saving devices (such as low-flush toilets) that are useful in homes can
also be useful for business water saving.
Other water-saving technology for businesses includes
i. Infrared or foot-operated faucets, which can save water by using short bursts of
water for rinsing in a kitchen or bathroom.
ii. Pressurized water brooms, which can be used instead of a hose to clean sidewalks.
iii. X-ray film processor re-circulation systems
iv. Cooling tower conductivity controllers
v. Water-saving steam sterilizers, for use in hospitals and health care facilities
vi. Rain water harvesting: it means capturing rain, where it falls or capturing the run
off in your own village or town, and taking measures to keep that water clean by not
allowing polluting activities to take place in the catchments.
Water harvesting can be undertaken through variety of ways:
(1) Capturing runoff from rooftops
(2) Capturing runoff from local catchments
(3) Capturing seasonal flood waters from local streams and
(4) Conserving water through watershed management.
4. Agricultural Solutions:
For crop irrigation, optimal water efficiency means minimizing losses due to
evaporation, runoff or subsurface drainage while maximizing production.
i. An evaporation pan in combination with specific crop correction factors can
be used to determine how much water is needed to satisfy plant requirements.
ii. ii. Drip Irrigation: Drip irrigation is also known as trickle irrigation or micro
irrigation. It is an irrigation method which saves water and fertilizer by
allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of plants, either onto the soil surface
or directly onto the root zone, through a network of valves, pipes and emitters.