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.
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