EFFICIENT MANAGEMENT OF MULTIPURPOSE AND MULTI-

STAKEHOLDER WATER PROJECTS

CHALLENGES IN EFFICIENT WATER MANAGEMENT IN DAMODAR RIVER VALLEY

- ROLE OF DVC

DIPANKAR CHAUDHURISATYABRATA BANERJEE

DAMODAR BASIN

Balpahari

Bokaro Bermo

DAMODAR RIVER- FLOODS A small river of 541 Km. length & catchment area 22015 Sq-Km, was

errant and often destructive due to its devastating floods, became a subject of myths, fables and rhymes for children in Bengal.

‘Sorrow of Bengal’ – attached to the river Major floods recorded in years- 1823, 1840,1877,1913,1935,1939 &

1941,1943. 30 cm and 51 cm rainfalls in and adjoining valley in Aug.1913 storm

generated peak inflow of 6.5 lac cusec at Rhondia. Damages estimated – Rs 1.0 crore in 1913 and 2.0 crores in 1935

floods A moderate flood of 1943 of peak inflow 3.5 lac cusec- resulted

inundation of Burdwan and destruction of 70 villages and 18000 houses. Calcutta was disconnected from outer world for about 10 weeks. No movements of arms ammunitions and army from Calcutta to war front. Total damage – estimated to be around Rs. 8 crores.

BIRTH OF DVCGovt. of Bengal- set up ‘Damodar Flood Enquiry Committee”

under the chairmanship of ‘Maharaja of Burdwan’Eminent personality – Dr. Meghnad Saha was also a member.Committee recommended -for creation of an organisation like

Damodar Valley Authority( later on-corporation) in line of Tennessee Valley Authority of USA.

Central Technical and Power Board appointed – Mr. W.L.Voorduin, an expert from TVA – for preparation of report

In 1945 – Mr. Voorduin submitted- ‘Preliminary Memorandum on the Unified Development of the Damodar River’.

Mr.Voorduins recommendations were finally accepted by the CTPB and the States of W. Bengal & Bihar. On 7 July, 1948, DVC came into being consequent upon

passing of DVC bill by Central legislature.

DAMODAR VALLEY CORPORATIONAn Autonomous Body of Central Govt. and the state Governments of West Bengal & Bihar (now Jharkhand) was created.

It was the first multipurpose integrated River Valley Project of independent India with prime objectives of flood control, irrigation, municipal & industrial supply of water, power generation & distribution, socio-economic development of valley area, environmental protection etc.

Came into existence on 7TH July 1948 by an Act of Parliament ‘DVC ACT (XIV), 1948’.

PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION:Total scheme was divided into two phases for implementation :Phase I- Four dams at Maithon, Panchet, Tilaiya and Konar with hydel stations.A Barrage at Durgapur with Canal Systems.Bokaro thermal power station with transmission and distribution system.Phase-II –Remaining four dams at Aiyar, Deolbari, Bokaro & Bermo.

Construction of 4 Dams, barrage & a canal system under Phase-I were completed by 1959.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Flood Live Total Flood Moderation Capacity Storage Storage Storage Combined Peak Moderated Inflow Outflow Million Acre-ft Cusec (MCM) (Cumec)

----------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Original Plan 2.915 2.30 5.680 10.0 lac 2.5 lac (3579) (2838) (7009) (28321) (7085) 1st Stage of 1.510 0.98 2.900 6.5 lac 2.5 lac DVC Dams (1851) (1209) (3578) (18420) (7085)  With Non Acquisition 1.047 0.98 2.437 6.0 lac 2.5 lac of Land (1296) (1209) (3007) (17003) (7085)  Current 0.786 0.75 1.788 5.0 lac 2.5 lac Position (971) (926) (2206) (14169) (7085)------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A VIEW OF DAMODAR VALLEY RESERVOIR STORAGE AND FLOOD MODERATION

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Particulars Tilaiya Maithon Panchet Konar---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Total drainage area- (In sq. miles) 380 2430 4234 385 2. Reservoir Levels –(In feet) : a) Bed level 1140 350 320 1256 b) Dead Storage 1192 435 392 1347 c) Spillway Crest 1212 460 405 1372.5 d) Top of Gates 1222 500 445 1402 e) Top of Dam 1234 512 457 1415 f) Power pool ( Max) 1222 480 410 1402 3. Reservoir Storages- ( In Acre-ft) a) Capacity to top of gates 3,08,645 8,86,540 11,01,000 2.01,021 b) Dead Storage 60,625 75,550 96,590 27,888 c) Live Storage 1,13,880 3,57,860 1,48,970 1,42,294 d) Flood Storage ( Upto land acquisition) 1,34,140 2,70,570 5,15,850 30,839 e) Flood Storage ( Upto MWL) Nil 4,53,130 8,55,450 Nil 4. Submerged Areas- ( In acres) 18,400 26,480 37,900 6,900 Upto top of gates 5. Spillway Design discharge (In Cusec) 1,35,000 4,80,000 5,86,500 2,40,000 6. Spillway Gates a) Number 14 12 15 9 b) Type Taintor Taintor Taintor Taintor c) Size 30 ft x 10 ft 41 ft x 40 ft 41 ft x 40 ft 34 ft x 29.5 ft 7. Undersluices a) Number 2 6 10 2 b) Size of Gates 30 inch Dia 5 ft 3 inch x 10 ft 5 ft 8 inch x 10 ft 7 ft 6 inch Dia

SALIENT FEATURES OF DAMODAR VALLEY RESERVOIRS

PERFORMANCE OF DVCFLOOD MODERATION THROUGH DVC DAMS

Moderation of Some Major Floods: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Combined Peak Combined Peak Flood Period Inflow Outflow Moderation ( In cusec) ( In cusec) ( In cusec) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oct. 1959 6,23,000 2,88,000 3,35,000 Oct. 1961 5,16,000 1,60,000 3,56,000 Oct. 1973 5,88,000 1,75,000 4,13.000 Sept. 1978 7,74,000 1,63,000 6,11,000 Sept. 1995 6,19,000 2,50,000 3,69,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Note: If the 1978 flood was allowed to pass without any

moderation from DVC dams, It would have generated a flood peak of 11,80,000 cusec at Durgapur Barrage, which is more than the total design flood of DVC system i.e. 10,00,000 cusec.

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Time in Hrs

Flow

in 1

000

cuse

c

Combined InflowCombined Outflow

MODERATION OF SEPTEMBER 2000, FLOOD

WATER SUPPLY & POWER GENERATION IN DVC

Water Supply For Irrigation: 3 crops in a year- Kharif, Rabi & Summer crop Boro from DVC water. 1000 to 1200 MCM water - for Kharif Irrigation 86 MCM of water - for Rabi Irrigation 400 to 500 MCM of water - for non-committed Boro IrrigationWater Supply For Municipal & Industrial Purposes: Supplying water to 185 Municipal & Industrial agencies from Ranchi to

Panagarh. Main Industrial consumers- Steel plants, Thermal plants, Railways, Collieries & Washeries, Fertiliser Plants etc. Main Domestic Consumers – Jharia Water Board Dhanbad City, Asansol, Ranigunge & Durgapur Municipalities etc.

Hydel Power Generation in DVC: Total Capacity: 147.2 MW (Maithon-63.2MW, Panchet-80 MW & Tilaiya-4MW)Thermal Power Generation in DVC: Total Installed Capacity: 5210 MW Capacity Addition by 2014: 2700 MW Total Capacity by 2014 : 7910 MW

IRRIGATION AREAWEST BENGALKharif Irrigation: 9,73,000 acre (3,93,763 hectare)Rabi irrigation : 55,000 acre (22,258 hectare)

JHARKHAND Kharif Rabi Total Hectare Hectare HectareCheck dams (16,882) 64,748 64,748Small ReservoirsJamunia 1458 1,458Charwa 405 405Gonda 931 931ProposedKonar Reservoir 47,849 14,074 61,923Balpahari Reservoir 40,468 40,468

1,69,933

Allocated Water Kharif Irrigation Combined Rabi & Boro

Year Kharif Rabi Boro Indent Drawn Indent Drawn

MCM MCM MCM MCM MCM MCM MCM

2003-2004 494 86 489 1578 1639 619 654

2004-2005 494 86 333 1176 1403 448 498

2005-2006 494 86 246 1178 1068 399 369

2006-2007 494 86 404 1147 1179 556 574

2007-2008 494 86 582 39 1214 605 685

2008-2009 494 86 262 350 1098 435 427

2009-2010 494 86 436 236 701 591 579

2010-2011 494 86 Nil 815 875 104 85

2011-2012 494 86 322 764 1275 520 512

PERFORMANCE OF IRRIGATION SUPPLY

Municipal & Industrial WithdrawalYear West Bengal Jharkhand

MCM/day MCM/day2002 0.68 0.302003 0.73 0.312004 0.79 0.332005 0.79 0.362006 0.85 0.412007 0.89 0.542008 0.91 0.552009 0.92 0.562010 0.95 0.582011 0.97 0.612012 1.01 0.63

WITHDRAWAL OF MUNICIPAL AND INDUSTRIAL WATER FROM DVC SYSTEM

                                

MAITHON HYDEL STATION

• ISSUES & INITIATIVES:NEW INITIATIVES TAKEN BY DVC:• INSTALLATION OF 39 AUTOMATIC RAIN GAUGE STATIONS• MODIFICATION OF THE EXISTING OPERATIONAL GUIDE CURVES• IMPLEMENTATION OF BALPAHARI PROJECT• DE-SILTATION OF PANCHET RESERVOIR• RIM EMBANKMENT AT MAITHON RESERVOIR• FISHERIES• PREPERATION OF THE MASTER PLAN• INCLUSION OF KONAR DAM IN DRIP• MAJOR ISSUES FACING BY DVC:• LAND ACQUISITION • REHABILITATION AND RESETTLEMENT• FLOOD OPERATION • LOWER DAMODAR CHANNEL CAPACITIES• SILTATION IN THE RESERVOIRS• OPERATION OF THE TENUGHAT RESERVOIR• MISCELLANEOUS ISSUES (ACTIVITIES WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE OF DVC).

Progressive Sedimentation in DVC Reservoirs

Maithon Reservoir Capacity (% loss) of Reservoir in different Zone

(in ‘000 acft)Zone Year of Survey

1955Original

1963 1965 1971 1979 1987 1994

Dead (upto EL 435 ft)

167.4 140.4 135.5 130.8 112.5 95.1 76.9 (54.0%)

Live (El 435-480 ft)

492.3 465.3 461.0 441.5 425.3 398.5 381.8 (22.4%)

Flood (EL 480-495 ft)

309.8 312.6 313.2 308.7 306.4 301.7 296.5 (4.3%)

Overall (upto EL 495 ft)

969.5 918.3 909.7 881.0 844.1 795.2 755.2 (22.1%)

Sed rate(acft/sq mile/Yr.) 3.2 3.0 2.8 2.6 2.7 2.7

Progressive Sedimentation in DVC Reservoirs

Panchet ReservoirCapacity (% loss) of Reservoir in different Zone (in ‘000 acft)

ZoneZone Year of SurveyYear of Survey19561956

OriginalOriginal19621962 19641964 19661966 19741974 19851985 19961996

Dead (upto Dead (upto EL 392 ft)EL 392 ft)

191.5191.5 149.7149.7 140.7140.7 140.0140.0 124.1124.1 101.4101.4 96.6 96.6 (49.6%)(49.6%)

Live (El 392-Live (El 392-410 ft)410 ft)

204.5204.5 184.4184.4 182.4182.4 178.0178.0 168.2168.2 157.4157.4 149.0 149.0 (27.2%)(27.2%)

Flood (EL Flood (EL 410-445 ft)410-445 ft)

885.7885.7 883.4883.4 880.3880.3 877.9877.9 871.7871.7 872.7872.7 855.5 855.5 (3.4%)(3.4%)

Overall (upto Overall (upto EL 445 ft)EL 445 ft)

1281.71281.7 1217.51217.5 1203.41203.4 1195.91195.9 1164.01164.0 1131.41131.4 1101.0 1101.0 (14.1%)(14.1%)

Sed rate(acft/sq Sed rate(acft/sq mile/Yr.)mile/Yr.)

2.82.8 2.62.6 2.22.2 2.12.1 1.41.4 1.361.36

CONCLUSIONS:The Original objectives behind the creation of the DVC was overall improvement of socio-economic condition of valley area with effective flood control, Irrigation, Supply of water for municipal & Industrial purposes, Hydel & Thermal Power Generation, Soil conservation, afforestation & environmental safeguard of the area.

So after 65 years of service to the nation, it is now appropriate to review the extent to which the objectives have been attained through DVC, considering its functioning under limited storage capacities, financial criticalities & socio-economic-political contraints.

•However the performance of DVC in last 65 years with only 30% capacity, with respect to the original plan can not be ignored as it has been successfully able to delete the word ‘Sorrow of Bengal” attached to the river Damodar and in addition to that helped Nadia- Hoogli-Bardwan belt of West Bengal to become ‘Rice Bowl of India”.

THANKS