WATER DISTRIBUTION

The abundant water resources in India are sufficient for the water supply in
whole of India only if proper and efficient water supply management is
adopted. The water infrastructure in India includes tapping of the available
water sources by the water board and department in India, proper water
treatment and purification, water storage facilities with regular cleaning of
the water storage tanks, usage of water, crisis in water supply, water
pollution, problems due to scarcity of water, Indian water policy for water
conservation and water harvesting etc.

Water Resources in India:

The water sources in India include the vast oceans surrounding the Indian
peninsula - Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea, the inland rivers -
both the Himalayan rivers and the rivers in the south, ground water and rain
water available in plenty through the abundant monsoons in India. The
problem area here is the water resources management, where India fails. The
management of water resources and sources in India is the responsibility of
the Ministry of Water Resources India. It looks after the water management
services in India, the issues and problems related to the water supply in
India, arrangement of abundant water supply facilities, methods all over
India, formulating the water supply policies and strategies for an equated
supply and division of water resources of India.

Water Management Policies of GoI

The Government of India (GoI) has formed various water management
systems and authorities in India. These include Central Water Commission,
Central Ground Water Board, National Water Development Agency,
National Projects Construction Corporation Ltd. etc. for efficient water
resources management. The policies thus formulated include Irrigation
Management Policy, National Policy Guidelines to allocate water resources
like rivers flowing through multiple states, National Commission for
Integrated Water Resources Development Plan, Water Information Bill,
River Basin Organization Policy, and many more. Various water reservoir
projects were also taken up by the Ministry of Water Resources like
construction and management of dams on various rivers.

Water Supply in India:

Continuous water supply is the requirement of every industry in India. India
being a primarily agriculture-based society requires huge amounts of water
sources for regular irrigation of the farms as the monsoons are not a reliable
water source considering the vast geographical as well as climatic variations
in India.

Also safe drinking water supply is another area where the government needs
to emphasize more as groundwater is not an everlasting water resource. The
water quality is tested at regular intervals and only if the water quality
standards fulfill certain quality parameters, the water is certified to be safe
for drinking.

Water Conservation:
The Indian government provided the masses with adequate water supply but
the management of the water supply systems wasn't undertaken efficiently
this has resulted in deteriorating condition of the water supply network. Thus
majority is forced to pump out ground water to fulfill the water requirements
that has in turn created a huge drop in the ground water levels.
Thus an effective strategy for water conservation is the need of the hour. The
steps taken in this regard include water treatment plants, water pollution
control so as to keep the water resources safe for other usage, careful
scrutiny of water supply division and projects. The water supply department
by adopting timely conservation methods can help solve the water shortage
problem in India and deal with the ongoing water crisis in India.

Rainwater harvesting can also provide a solution to the water crisis in India.
Certain areas in India receive plenty rainfall and thus creating huge
rainwater harvesting water tanks can help is accumulation of natural water
and then after some treatment can be utilized as a drinking water substitute.

Water Purification Industry

Large-scale water treatment is being undertaken so as to utilize the existing
water resources to an optimum level. Water purification has become an
industry in itself. The water purification industry in India deals in improving
water quality standards of drinking water, management and treatment of
ground water, bottling of mineral water available in various parts of the
country and providing this bottled water throughout India as a safe drinking
water solution. The major water treatment plants owners and water treatment
companies in India products in the bottled water industry include Kinley,
Bisleri, Aquafina, and Kingfisher etc.

Water Reservoir Dams and Projects:

As a solution to the water crisis in India, the government took up building of
huge dams and water reservoirs that provided multiple solutions. The dams
build on various rivers provided safety against the floods that used to
frequent these rivers, effective use of natural water resource, providing
irrigation facilities to the surrounding field and farms and also in the
production of hydroelectricity.

The major dams and water reservoirs in India include:

Nagarjuna Sagar Dam, Andhra Pradesh
Sardar Sarover Project build on river Narmada, Gujarat
Bhakra Nangal Dam build on river Sutlej, Himachal Pradesh
Gobind Sagar and Maharana Pratap Sagar Dam, Himachal Pradesh
Krishna Raja Sagara Dam on Cauvery River, Karnataka
Tunga Bhadra Dam
Neyyar Dam, Kerala
Narmada Dam Project, Madhya Project
Hirakund Dam Build on Mahanadi River, Orissa
Farakka Barrage
Significance of losses in water distribution systems in
India
Effective management of water supply systems consists in supplying
adequate quantities of clean water to the population. Detailed pilot studies of
water distribution systems were carried out in 9 cities in India during 1971-
81 to establish the feasibility of a programme of assessment, detection, and
control of water losses from supply systems. A cost-benefit analysis was
carried out. Water losses from mains and service pipes in the areas studied
amounted to 20-35% of the total flow in the system. At a conservative
estimate, the national loss of processed water through leaks in the water
distribution systems amounts to 1012 litres per year, which is equivalent to
500 million rupees.
 It is possible to bring down the water losses in the pipe mains to 3-5% of the
total flow, and the cost incurred on the control programme can be recovered
in 6-18 months. Appropriate conservation measures will help in achieving
the goals of the International Water Supply and Sanitation Decade to provide
clean water for all.

Urban Water Supply

Integrated Hydrological and Water Data Books - Central Water
Commission (2005-09)

Integrated Hydrological Data Books are a compendium of important

hydrological information of twelve non-classified basins (i.e., other
than Ganga and Brahmaputra) consolidated at the national level by
the Central Water Commission (CWC). It covers basic hydrological
data on gauge, discharge, silt, sedimentation and water quality
collected on a regular basis by the CWC regional field offices, who
document it in the form of a Water Year Book, Sediment Year Book
and Water Quality Year Book. These along with the relevant land use
statistics collected by the Ministry of Agriculture are integrated into
this Data Book. The information is of use to planners, researchers,
policy makers and the public at large.Read More
Attachment Size

Attachment Size

Integrated Hydrological Databook by CWC (2009) 5.42 MB

Integrated Hydrological Databook by CWC (2007) 2.7 MB

Integrated Hydrological Databook by CWC (2006) 1.12 MB

Water Data - Complete book by CWC (2005) 1.05 MB

Water sector at a glance - Summary by CWC (2008) 88.23 KB

Water sector at a glance - Complete book by CWC (2007) 1.92 MB

Category: Discharge, Hydrograph Network Station, Hydrological

Station, Minerals, Physical Characteristics, Population, River Basins,
Runoff, Sediment Load, Simulator for Water Resources in Rural Basins
(SWRRB), Storage Capacity, Stream Gauging, Water and Industry,
Water Flow, Water Level, Agriculture, Fisheries, Irrigation, Climate,
Dams, Drainage, Drinking Water, Droughts, Floods, Groundwater,
Groundwater Exploitation, Hydrology, Land Use, Meteorological Data,
Rainfall, Reservoirs, Rivers, Rural Water Supply, Soils, Temperature,
Urban Water, Urban Water Supply, Water Quality
• Author: Central Water Commission (CWC)
• Source: Central Water Commission (CWC)
• Location / Time: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, Baitarni, Brahmani,
Burhabalang, Cauvery, Godavari, India, Indus, Krishna,
Mahanadi, Mahi, Nagavali, Narmada, Rushikulya, Sabarmati,
Sarada, Subarnarekha, Tapi, Vamsadhara
Women and Water: A report by the National Commission for Women

This report by the National Commission for Women looks at social

conflict and tension that arise due to water crises and analyses the
impact of these on women. The stress on water resources is a result of
rapidly rising population and changing lifestyles, which have
increased the need for fresh water. Intense competition among water
users from agriculture, industry and domestic sector is pushing the
ground water table deeper. Women bear the burden of fetching
drinking water in rural areas and if opportunity costs are taken into
account, it would translate to about 150 million women days each
year. This amounts to a loss of a whopping 10 billion rupees per year
to the national exchequer.

Category: Gender and Water, Water Crisis, Public Public Partnership

(PPP), Agriculture, Conflicts, Drinking Water, Panchayati Raj
Institutions, Rainwater Harvesting, Traditional Water-body Restoration,
Urban Water Supply, Women
Author: National Commission for Women
Source: National Commission for Women
Location / Time: 2005, Bangalore, Bhopal, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad,
India, Kochi, Kottaam, Mumbai, Shimla, Sriganganagar
 Progress on sanitation and drinking water - A report by WHO and
UNICEF (2010)

This report by WHO and UNICEF, describes the

global status and trends with respect to the use of safe drinking water
and basic sanitation, and global progress made towards the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the context of drinking
water and sanitation targets. The findings reveal some striking
disparities with respect to:Read More

• the gap between progress in providing access to drinking water

versus sanitation
• the divide between urban and rural populations in terms of the
services
• the differences in the way different regions are performing
• disparities between different socio-economic strata in the
society

• gendered differences in the burden experienced in accessing

and collection of drinking water

Content Type: Data, Maps, Research

Category: Dry Latrines, Latrines, Safe Drinking Water, Shallow Pits,
Toilets, Drinking Water, Gender, Open Defecation, Piped Water Supply,
Rural, Rural Sanitation, Rural Water Supply, Sanitation, Urban, Urban
Sanitation, Urban Water Supply, Water Quality
Author: United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), World Health
Organisation (WHO)
Source: United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), World Health
Organisation (WHO)
Location / Time: 2010, China, India
Renukaji Dilli Ke Nalon Mein - A documentary about the movement
against the proposed Renukaji Dam Project

Renukaji in Delhi's Taps

The Renuka Dam Project proposed over the river Giri Ganga (a
tributary of the Yamuna) located some 300km away from Delhi, is a
joint project of the governments of Himachal Pradesh (HP) and
Delhi, to be constructed by the Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation
Limited (HPPCL) in Sirmaur district of HP. While HP hopes to
generate 40MW of power from this project, Delhi hopes to meet 1250
MLD of its total 3500 MLD requirement from this project.Read
More
Location

New Delh, DL, India

Latitude: 28.635308, Longitude: 77.224960

Content Type: Case Studies, Media

Media Type: Video
Category: Displacement, Hydro-electric Projects, Agriculture, Dams,
Drinking Water, Forests, Piped Water Supply, Rivers, Small and
marginal farmers, Urban consumption, Urban Water, Urban Water
Supply
Associated People / Organizations: Ma Renukaji Sangarsh Samiti
Author: Centre for Communication and Development Studies
(Infochange), Kurush Canteenwala, Sambhaav
• Source: Kurush Canteenwala
• Location / Time: 2010, Giri Ganga, Himachal Pradesh, New
Delhi, Renukaji
Piped water supply to Greater Bangalore: Putting the cart before the
horse – An EPW special article

The paper critically evaluates the Greater Bangalore Water and

Sanitation Project (GWSAP), implemented by the Bangalore Water
Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB). This project aims to extend
piped water supply from the Cauvery to over two million residents in
peri-urban Bangalore. This ambitious project has been viewed against
the backdrop of the broader trends and debates around market-based
reforms in the water sector in Karnataka.Read More