Inter State Water Disputes and apathy of Ministry of Water Resources, Govt. of India

The Ministry of water Resources, Govt. of India (MoWR) and Central Water Commission (CWC) are responsible for unresolved inter- state water disputes in India. I request our honourable Prime Minister Mr. Modi to personally intervene in the matter and get the things corrected. So far the MoWR and CWC have shown no intention for improvement. The inter-state water disputes can be solved amicably if following steps are taken.

1. The water use efficiency in India is only about 40 percent, whereas in Australia, it is 80 to 90 percent. After about 70 years of Independence both these organizations namely MoWR and CWC are in self praise and have avoided to work hard and to adopt new strategies to solve water problems in India.MoWR and CWC have done practically no ground work to increase water use efficiency in India. According to present government policy, the water courses or field channels carrying water from canals to farmer fields are to be constructed by the cultivators at their own design and own cost, without any help from the Govt. The CWC could not finalize a Draft code for “Design and Construction of Water Courses”, submitted by me in year 2003 to Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) till year 2015, i.e. for 12 long years. But it expects the poor farmers of India to be expert in “Design and Construction” of perfect water courses at farmer’s cost in their own lands ? How ridiculous it is? This policy needs to be condemned by all stake holders. With high water use efficiency like 80 to 90 percent near the double the farmer’s field area, can be irrigated with the same amount of water. But it seems both MoWR and CWC do not wish to improve the things for the reasons best known to them. I have submitted my proposals to the Govt and published them on social media, that present policy be changed and construction of water courses at Govt cost should be the part of any irrigation project. Similarly, in already constructed projects, the field surveys be done and properly designed water courses must be constructed by the govt. at govt. cost like construction of canals.
2. It is logical that the water allowance in irrigated areas, which are suffering from water logging, must be reduced to reduce quantity of supply of water as a cure. But instead, it is increased by the MoWR and CWC. For example the water allowance in Chambal project, Kota, Rajasthan the water allowance has been increased from 3 to 4.5 cusec per thousand acre, to permit more wastage of water. Similarly in Indira Gandhi Nahar Canal Project Rajasthan, in water logged areas, instead of decreasing supply of water, the extra water is being vaporized and wastage under new theory of BIO DRAINGE, what a criminal wastage of water by the Government
3. As per my experience in canals of Gudha project, District Bundi (Rajasthan:India) under USAID project, I found the canals are not capable to carry design discharge from head to tail as per approved longitudinal section of the canal / minor. For this the inaccurate and incomplete codes of Bureau of Indian Standard are responsible. In year 2003, I submitted a new draft code to Bureau of Indian Standard, New Delhi for proper design of the canals, but it was rejected by the Bureau of Indian Standard. With present IS Codes and design procedures approved by the Central Water Commission, it is not possible to correctly design a canal system. I have donework on two minors of Gudha Project Bundi to enable them to carry design discharge as per their approved longitudinal section and I am proud that both the canals now can take water upto their tail ends and irrigate the full command area. If anybody is interested to know in detail that what work was done, then he may send e-mail to me at yagrawal@bsnl.in . I will provide the soft copy of my paper titled “
4. Proper design of canals will also reduce canal losses.
5. Water flowing in natural and artificial drains may be used by flow (wherever possible) or by lift, back in canals, to increase water availability.
6. Like opium (अफीम) the limit of area for growing high water consuming crops like sugar cane, rice, etc must be fixed in every project. This will reduce the requirement of water for crops in the project.
7. Tensiometeres must be used in agriculture fields to determine the proper water requirement of crops. Proper quantity of water will give maximum production and excess use of water could be prevented. Except rice and sugarcane and rice, there is no crop which gives more production with more water. In fact water in excess of proper requirement will reduce, crop yield. I have prepared an article in Hindi titled . If anybody wants, he may write to me at yagrawal@bsnl.in
8. Furrow irrigation or sprinkler irrigation must be used to irrigate field to avoid field losses.

Above are some steps for implementation for increasing productivity of already available water. I hope if these steps are taken , then water requirement of different states will reduce and it will be possible to have amicable water distribution among states.