WATER IN RRA
Jan 17, 2016
WATER IN RRA
Hydrogeological diversity in India
The Western Ghats
The Himalaya
The Gangetic Plains
Interception
Interception
Runoff(Depression) storage
Runoff
Soil moisture
Infiltration
Infiltration
Recharge
Recharge
PRECIPITATIONPRECIPITATION
Processes after rain / precipitation
The skeleton for the water balanceRainfall
Runoff
EvaporationChange in surface storage
InfiltrationChange in soil moistureET
Recharge
Change in aquifer storage
ET
Discharge
Key elements in RFA
Soil moistur
e
Infiltration
Soil moistur
eDepleting aquiferstorage
Securing protective irrigation
Groundwater : aquifer
Moisturemanagement
Protective irrigation
Dilution and Dispersion
Filtration
Adsorption
Aquifer vulnerability to pollution & attenuation
Die-off and predation
Die-off
Rationale for water management under RRA
• Current water crisis is mired in the race to the pumphouse – for irrigated crops.
• The importance of water in RFA is not even recognised as a challenge.
• Moisture management and critical ‘protective’ irrigation are important to improving RFA. These two aspects emerge as priorities in the use of water as a common pool resource –THE BASIS FOR WATER MANAGEMENT PILOTS IN RRA EFFORTS…
Moisture management & securing protective irrigation – basis for pilots
• Energy, efficient use, recharge, conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater in rainfed agriculture
• Securing protective irrigation and ensuring equity in ‘protective irrigation’
• Develop improved understanding of soil water and mechanisms of optimal use of soil-moisture
• Strategies for securing irrigation to overcome rainfall vagaries. • Management of drought buffers against rainfall failure – through
a participatory, community-based effort• Protocols on managing protective irrigation – preferably on the
back of watershed development. • Pilots to policy.
Plan of Action• Capacity development and Training on Hydrogeology
and its relation to the RFA.• Application of Water thematic
– Primarily protective irrigation for kharif crop– “Water Security Pilot” for rainfed agriculture in a
watershed and further up-scale it to the envisioned area.– “Facilitate” the application of hydrogeology at the
planning and field levels - so as to integrate thinking on groundwater issues.
– Addressing insecurities for drinking water, livestock, fisheries and other priorities
Plan of Action…contd• Evolve strategies for securing irrigation to overcome
rainfall vagaries. • Develop protocols on managing protective irrigation
– preferably on the back of watershed development.• Participatory Community based Management
systems.
Expected outcomes• Sustainability of resource for rainfed agriculture and
drinking water (safety & security).• Detailed understanding of hydrogeological systems and
groundwater issues.• Improved perspectives, solutions and strategies of
groundwater recharge.• Develop solutions and processes to mitigate water
security and quality problems.• Policy level inputs: guidelines for various projects –
rainfed agriculture, watershed, drinking water and ecological requirements.
• Develop local expertise and capacities on groundwater.