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.