Generation of Hydro-meteorological, Geological, Ecological, Socio-

economical Information System for Management of Water Resources of

Indo-Gangetic Plain of India

Presented by:- Barnava Chatterjee

12/CE/03 NIT Durgapur

INTRODUCTION

The project “Generation of Database and Implementation of Web Enabled Water Resources Information System in the Country” short named as India-WRIS WebGIS is a joint venture of the Central Water Commission (CWC), Ministry of Water Resources, Govt. of India and Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Department of Space, Govt. of India, as per the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed on December 3, 2008 between the two departments for a period of four years - January 2009 to December 2012 and has been extended till December, 2015.

OBJECTIVES

The main objectives are:-

To collect available data from varied sources and organize in standardized GIS format.

To provide easier access and sharing of authentic water resources data through a centralized database.

To provide foundation for advanced modeling purposes.

To provide tools to create maps by stacking up multilayer GIS database.

WHY DO WE NEED INDIA-WRIS?

With uneven distribution of water with space and time, the management of water resources is a highly complex and tedious task.

Over-exploitation and population hinders the availability and creates the scarcity and depletion of the water resource.

A well developed information system for water related data at the national level is a prime requisite for resource planning.

HYDRO-METEOROLOGICAL DATA

There are 318 hydro-observation stations operated by CWC in the Ganga basin. These stations are categorized as ‘GDSQ’, where the abbreviation stands as: G-

Gauge, D-Discharge, S-Sediment and Q-Water Quality . The CWC also operates 87 flood forecasting stations in the Ganga basin which

are located on major flood prone rivers. There are 2 types of flood forecasting stations:- Level type and Inflow type

CWC and IMD also operate many weather stations in the gangetic basin.

They monitor parameters like rainfall, temperature, pan evaporation, relative humidity, absolute pressure, wind speed, wind direction and sunshine.

ISRO operates quite a few AWS(Automatic Weather Stations) in remote locations.

GEOLOGICAL DATA

The Gangetic plains consists of different types of soil types namely alluvial, laterite, red, etc.

Although alluvial soil of fine texture deposited by the rivers consists of nearly 52% of the land area.

This makes the region one of the most fertile regions on the planet and also one of the most densely populated.

ECOLOGICAL DATA

More than 95% of the upper Gangetic Plain has been degraded or converted to agriculture or urban areas.

Wild animals are found diversely only in protected land areas like national parks and sanctuaries now.

Fish population has also dwindled due to over exploitation.

Species like the Gangetic River Dolphin are on the verge of extinction with only around 3000 left due to pollution and over fishing.

The Ganga basin is divided into 12 agro ecological zones in order to prepare better land use plans.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC DATA

The Ganges Basin with its fertile soil is instrumental to the agricultural economy of India.

Ganga and its tributaries provide irrigation water to a large area making crop production easy and reliable.

The population also plays a major role in the health of the river since the area is such densely populated.

So knowing the land use and demographic statistics are important while managing the water resources of the region.

CONCLUSION

India-WRIS is an innovative project by the government making water resources data available to the people who might use them for research purposes.

It will also help the government departments in formulating plans for better water resources management in the future.

It will help in spreading awareness among the public about pollution and ecological degradation of our nation’s water resources.

In the long run it will help in reversing the degradation of the nation’s rivers and make them wholesome again.

REFERENCES

Ganga Basin Report, March 2014,Ministry of Water Resources, Government of India.

Available from:- http://www.india-wris.nrsc.gov.in/Publications/BasinReports/Ganga%20Basin.pdf

Authors:- Dr. V.K. Dadhwal , Er. A.Mahendran, Dr. J.R. Sharma, Er. W.M. Tembhurney, Dr. V. V. Rao, Er R.K.Jain, Ms. Chitra S. Pai , Er. Alok Paul Kalsi, Ms. S V Pravalika & others

India-Water Resources Information System: http://www.india-wris.nrsc.gov.in/wris.html

River Basin Atlas of India, India-WRIS, 2012. RRSC-West, NRSC, ISRO, Jodhpur, India.

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