19 Apr

Water Issues – River

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Content

• Water Convention
• World Water Day: 22nd March
• The Un World Water Development Report, 2023
• Report: Composite Water Management Index (CWMI)
• Government Initiatives
• Jaldoot App

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1. INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS – CONVENTIONS, REPORTS, MEETS ETC.

1) WATER CONVENTION

• Negotiated under: United Nation Economic Commission for Europe.
• Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention) was adopted in Helsinki in 1992 and entered into force in 1996.
  • It is a legally binding instrument and aims to protect and ensure the quantity, quality and sustainable use of transboundary water resources by facilitating cooperation.
  • It provides inter-governmental platform for day-to-day development and advancement of transboundary cooperation.
  • It was initially negotiated as a regional (Pan-European) instrument. Later, it turned into a universally available legal framework for transboundary water cooperation, following the entry into force of amendments in Feb 2013, opening it to all UN Member States.
• It has emerged as a powerful tool to achieve the objective of SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation)
• Is India a member?
  • No
• Report: “The Water Convention: 30 Years of Impact and Achievements on the Ground”

 2) WORLD WATER DAY: 22ND MARCH

• ­About World Water Day
  • WWD is an annual UN Observance Day which highlights the importance of fresh water. The day is used to promote awareness related to water conservation and advocate sustainable management of the freshwater resources.
  • UN-Water is the convener for World Water Day and selects the theme for each year in consultation with UN organizations that share an interest in that year’s focus.
  • The day was first formally proposed in the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro. UNGA adopted the resolution regarding this in Dec 1992.
  • The first WWD was observed on 22nd March 1993.
• World Water Day, 2023
  • The theme for the year 2023 is “Accelerating Change.”
    • It focuses on accelerating change to solve water and sanitation issues.

 3) THE UN WORLD WATER DEVELOPMENT REPORT, 2023

• Who Publishes the report.
  • The UN World Water Development Report (WWDR) is an UN-Water’s flagship report on water and sanitation issues, focusing on a different theme each year.
  • The report is published by UNESCO, on behalf of UN-Water and its production is coordinated by the UNESCO World Water Assessment Program.
• Key Highlights of the 2023 Report:
  • It assesses the role of partnerships and cooperation among the stakeholders in water resources management and development and their role in accelerating progress towards water goals and targets.

3. INITIATIVES IN INDIA

 1) REPORT: COMPOSITE WATER MANAGEMENT INDEX (CWMI)

• Introduction
  • The CWMI is a first of its kind, comprehensive scorecard for identifying, targeting and solving problems in water sector across the country. It was first published in 2018.
  • It is expected to:
    • Promote data-based decision making and thus scientific management of water.
    • Encourage competitive and cooperative federalism.
    • Establish a clear baseline and benchmark for state-level performance on key water indicators.
    • Uncover and explain how states have progressed on water issues over time, including identifying high-performers and under-performers, thereby inculcating a culture of constructive competition among states.
    • Identify areas of deeper engagement and investment on the part of the states.
    • Eventually, the NITI Aayog plans to develop the index into a composite national-level data management platform for all water resources in India.
• ­The indicators in the Water Index have been grouped into nine major broad themes.
  1. Source Augmentation and Restoration of water bodies
  2. Source Augmentation (ground water)
  3. Major and medium irrigation (supply side management)
  4. Watershed development – supply side management
  5. Participatory Irrigation Practices – Demand side management
  6. Sustainable on-farm water use practices – Demand side management
  7. Rural Drinking water
  8. Urban water supply and sanitation
  9. Policy and Governance
• Note: CWMI 0 is worked in progress; CWMI 2.0 was published in Aug 2019
• Note: NITI Aayog now plans to combine CWMI 0, 4.0, 5.0 and 6.0 to cover the years 2021-22, and 2022-23. It is also contemplating data coverage to district level.

2) GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES

A) MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

• A Unified Ministry of Jal Shakti was launched in May 2019 as an immediate response to the escalating water crisis in the country.
• The ministry was formed by merging of two ministries: Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation and Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.
• Functions of the new ministry ranges from providing clean drinking water, international and inter-state water disputes, cleaning Ganga river, its tributaries and sub tributaries.
• ­Why?
  • All water related initiatives are complementary to each other and therefore it’s better to have one ministry for better coordination and integrated data management system.

B) JAL SHAKTI ABHIYAN

• ­What is Jal Shakti Abhiyan?
  • It is Jal Shakti Ministry’s flagship water-conservation campaign.
• Need of the program:
  • In 1951, per-capita water availability in India: 5,000 cu m per year
  • In 2011 -> 1,545 cu m per year
• Jal Shakti Abhiyan-1
  • Campaign was first launched in 2019 which was focused on water-stressed districts and blocks (256 districts and 1592 blocks). It was run through citizen participation during Monsoon season. (July – Sep and Oct – Nov (for states receiving north-east retreating Monsoon))
  • Under this, GoI worked with state and district officials in this water stressed districts to promote water conservation and water resource management by focusing on accelerated implementation of five target interventions:

• Special Intervention Areas

• It was aimed at making water conservation a Jan Andolan through asset creation and extensive
• No separate funds were allocated for JSA-1 and funds from convergence of different central and state government schemes were utilized.
• Jal Shakti Abhiyan 0 couldn’t be undertaken due to COVID-19 restrictions.
• However, Ministry of Jal Shakti has taken up the “Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain” (JSA: CTR) with the theme “Catch the rain, where it falls when it falls” covering both rural as well as urban areas of all districts in the country, during the pre-monsoon and monsoon period – i.e., upto 30th Nov 2021.
• “Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain” (JSA: CTR) -2022, the third in the series of JSAs, has been launched on 29.3.2022.
  • It covers all blocks of all districts (rural as well as urban areas) across the country during 29th March 2022 to 30th Nov 2022 – the pre-monsoon period.
  • The targeted interventions of the campaign in the current year are (1) water conservation and rainwater harvesting (2) enumerating, geo-tagging & making inventory of all water bodies; preparation of scientific plans for water conservation based on it (3) Setting up of Jal Shakti Kendras in all districts (4) intensive afforestation and (5) awareness generation.
  • In this campaign, additional activities/ sub-interventions have been incorporated under the intervention ‘water conservation & rainwater harvesting’ which include spring shed management, protection of water catchment areas and creation/ renovation of ‘amrit sarovars’

C) JAL JEEVAN MISSION (JJM) (WATER FOR LIFE) (HAR GHAR NAL SE JAL)

• JJM was launched in 2019 to provide functional household tap connection (FHTC) to every household by the end of 2024
• Need:
  • Water inequality is a major concern in India. 81% of households in India were without tap connection (14.6 cr/17.87 cr)
  • Safe drinking water together with a comprehensive sanitation program is important for reducing the disease burden of the poor.
• Details
  • JJM restructures and subsumes the National Rural Drinking Water Program (running since 2009). The scheme is also known as Har Ghar Nal Se Jal (HGNSJ).
• The Broader Objectives of JJM are:
  • To provide Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTC) to every rural household by 2024 with a service level of 55 litres per capita per day (lpcd).
  • To prioritize provision of FHTCs in quality affected areas, desert areas, drought prone areas and Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojna villages.
  • To provide functional tap connection to Schools, Anganwadi centres, GP buildings, Health centres, wellness centres and community buildings.
  • To monitor functionality of tap connections.
  • To promote and ensure voluntary ownership among local community by way of contribution in cash, kind and/ or labour and voluntary labour (shramdaan)
  • To assist in ensuring sustainability of water supply system, i.e. water source, water supply infrastructure, and funds for regular O&M
  • To empower and develop human resource in the sector such that the demands of construction, plumbing, electrical, water quality management, water treatment, catchment protection, O&M, etc. are taken care of in short and long term.
  • To bring awareness on various aspects and significance of safe drinking water and involvement of stakeholders in manner that make water everyone’s business.
  • A dedicated fund called ‘Rashtriya Jal Jeevan Kosh‘ has been set up by Ministry of Jal Shakti to mobilse and accept contributions received from other sources such as Corporate Social Responsibility to fund JJM.
• Cost: The total project is estimated to cost Rs 60 lakh crore.
  • Center: State: 50: 50 (90:10 for NE and Himalayan States and 100% for UTs)
• Implementations
  • JJM is implemented by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) under the recently formed MJS.
• Steps which are planned:
  • augment local water sources.
  • recharge existing sources and
  • promote water harvesting and de-salination wherever required.
  • Reuse grey water or discharged water.

B) MISSION AMRIT SAROVAR

• Ministry: Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD)
• Mission Amrit Sarovar was launched on National Panchayati Raj Day on 24 April 2022 with the objective to conserve water for the future.
• The Mission is aimed at developing and rejuvenating 75 water bodies in each district of the country during this Amrit Varsh, 75th Years of Independence.
• The impact of this initiative has been.
  • About 32 crore cubic meters of water holding capacity has been enhanced.
  • Water Users’ groups have been associated with each Amrit Sarovar inter-alia improving the livelihoods base of the local community.
  • Participation of freedom fighters, Martyr’s families, Padma Awardees, and other eldest citizens of the local areas helped in community participation at a large scale, promoting social harmony and patriotism, and making this mission a mass movement.
  • People’s participation has been seen in this mission in a form of “Shram -Daan“.
  • This will result in the creation of a total carbon sequestration potential of 1,04,818 tonnes of carbon per year.

3) JALDOOT APP

• ­Ministry: MoRD
• MoRD has developed ‘JALDOOT App’ which will be used across the country to capture water levels of selected well.
  • It will enable Gram Rojgar Sahayak (GRS) to measure the water level of selected wells twice a year (pre-Monsoon post-Monsoon).
  • In every village adequate number of measurement locations (2-3) have to be taken

A) NATIONAL WATER AWARDS

• ­Why in news?
  • 5th National Water Awards Launched on Rashtriya Puraskar Portal (awards.gov.in) (Oct 2023)
    • Application for awards could be filed here. Last date for submitting applications is 15th Dec 2023.
• Department and Ministry: The Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD, & GR), Ministry of Jal Shakti .
• Details
  • NWA were instituted to recognize and encourage exemplary work and efforts made by states, districts, individuals, organizations, Panchayats, ULB, School, Industry, Society, Water User Association, Individual etc. across the country in attaining the government’s vision of a ‘Jal Samridh Bharat‘.
  • It also strives to create awareness among the people about the importance of water and motivate them to adopt the best water usage practices.
  • SO far, it has provided a good opportunity to start-ups as well as leading organizations to engage and deliberate with senior policymakers on how to adopt the best water resources management practices in India.
  • The first National Water Award was launched by the Jal Shakti Ministry in 2018.