INTRODUCTION
1. Water is vital for existence of our like, for maintaining and ensuring sustainable food security, domestic water supply, industrial water supply, electric power generation, maintenance of ecological balance and healthy environment. It is the prime resource for all our economic and development activities. The availability of this precious resource is, however restricted and finite. Its availability is highly irregular. It is not available in places where we want it, at the time when we want it and in quantities in which we want it. This precious resource is also getting continuously strained due to consistently increasing population, large scale industrialization and growth of urbanization. A coordinated approach development of this scare and finite resource is therefore essential. The problem, if not tackled effectively, may pose a serious threat to our all development activity and environment.
2. India in among the foremost countries in the world in exploiting its water resources for conservation of water resources for irrigation, flood control, generation of hydro power and water supply, industrial and various other miscellaneous uses. A large number of projects, dams, barrages, hydro power structure, canal networks etc. have come all over the country in successive five year plans. A mile stone in water resources development is creation of huge water storage capacity because of which it has now become possible to provide irrigation in the command areas, to ensure supply for hydro and thermal power plants located at different places and to meet requirement for various other uses. Flood moderation can be effected in flood prone areas where storages have been provided and supply of drinking water in remote area has also become possible.
Environmental aspects associated with Water Resource Development Projects
3. The water resource development projects have received due attention and priority in our successive five year plans after independence. These projects have brought tremendous benefits to the masses and the nation. Initially, technical feasibility and economic efficiency remained the main criterion and concern in implementation of these projects and the environmental aspects did not receive due concern. Gradually, the environmental aspects associated with a water resource development projects also come to be noticed which ultimately lead to the realization that the water resources development projects should be planned in such a manner that it leads to enhancement in the quality of environment rather than its degradation.
4. Environment is defined as the aggregate of all external conditions/situation/ influencing and affecting life and further development of living organisms on earth. The environment takes into account all the variables (physical, social and cultural) as these directly or indirectly influence the existence and development of organism. The basic factors influencing environment include air, water, land, flora and fauna which are inter related, inter dependent, co evolve and co adopts.
5. Viewed in this context, the water resource development projects have both negative as well as positive environmental effects/aspects associated with it. The negative environmental aspects associated with water resource development projects include submergence of forests, agricultural land, archeological and historical monuments, displacement of people, land degradation, soil erosion, water logging effect on flora and fauna etc. On the other hand the positive environmental aspects include improvement in/more equitable distribution of water, improvement in water quality, generation of employment, resettlement of displaced persons, positive impact on health, development of tourism/picnic spots in and around surrounding areas and above all improvement in socio-economic status of the masses thereby also contributing to a healthy environment
ORGANIATIONAL SETUP
6. A proper organizational support matched with qualified and trained manpower is a prerequisite for effectiveness of any Information System. At Central level, Central Water Commission (CWC) in Ministry of Water Resources (MOWR) is the nodal agency for monitoring, evaluation and impact assessment of water resources projects related to irrigation development
Review of the available data
7. Our data base on environmental related aspects in weak. We do not have adequate machinery and mechanism to generate the data and even proper documentation of the available data is lacking. We have sketching data here and there, but the same is not sufficient and also incomplete over time and space. The status of available data is:
(i) Water Quality- The CWC has a network of about 900 hydrological stations spread all over to country who regularly collect hydrological and meteorological data. The data on water quality for certain selected parameters is also being now regularly collected by over 300 of these hydrological stations. The data is being regularly collect and compiled, similar feedback even on restricted basins for sites under control of various States is however, not being made available to the centre. The pollution added in the transmission by the time it reaches the actual uses in not known.
(ii) Deforestation/A forestation - The execution of water resources projects in submergence of the forest area covering in the way of projects resulting in deforestation. As per the norms laid down by MOEP now, a forestation of equivalent is mandatory before the project is cleared. Development of such infrastructure projects due to urbanization also results in deforestation. The extent of area of deforestation/a forestation is not known and its availability in for
(iii) Resettlement/Rehabilitation
(iv) Land degradation, water logging, water salinity etc. (including to floods & droughts.
(v) Feedback on impact assessment (global warning)
DATA REQUIREMENT/DATA GAPS
8. The immediate objective of waster resources project is to ensure availability of water for various purposes including drinking, irrigation, generation of electricity, industry. The ultimate objective, however, is to ensure overall economic development including food security. These projects have environmental impacts also both positive and negative necessary safeguards are essential so that these projects do not lead or result in deterioration of the environment viewed in this context our data base is very deficient to provide the required feedback on the environmental aspects. As a result negative aspects are mainly getting highlighted creating disturbance in the execution of the projects and also making it difficult to the policy makers to justify the returns from huge public investment being made in execution of these projects. Development of a sound data base on environmental aspects not confined only to a few qualitative aspects like water quality/water pollution, land degradation, soil erosion, sedimentation, soil fertility etc. but also the consequential impact of socio economic level, heat and other related parameter is equally important for a holistic view in the matter and taking appropriate policy measure for environmental safeguard is very important. Although we have some feedback on the environmental impact aspect. Unfortunately environmental aspect has remained virtually neglected in our entire planning and we have not paid adequate attentions to development of necessary mechanism and machinery for providing necessary feedback on this important aspect. If necessary steps are not taken for development of infrastructure and necessary data base in this regard, it may not only result in environmental degradation but may also result in getting execution of our many water resource development projects stalled.
Suggestions for Improvement
9. A concerted joint effort is required by both those involved in planning/execution of water resources development projects as well as those having concern for environmental safeguards and involved in the environmental management for development of necessary data base for which it is necessary that cost effective and adequate machinery is created to take up evaluation and impact oriented assessment studies. Our experience indicates that it has not been possible for Government Departments to carry such studies of their own. It is, therefore, necessary to have such studies conducted by external agencies.
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