HYDROLOGY PROJECTCrucial for India

The MinisTry of WaTer resourcesGovernMenT of india

An Initiative BySupported By

Maintaining an institutionalised arrangement for setting up a robust and transparent hydrologic database covering both surface and ground water resources is an essential prerequisite for promoting and sustaining water resources planning and management, be it in the public and private domains. The World Bank aided Hydrology Project has been central to efforts in India to improve the planning, development, and management of water resources, as well as flood forecasting and reservoir operations in real-time. The project having completed two phases (Phase-I since 1995 to 2003 and phase –II from 2006 till 2014) has successfully established the backbone of a comprehensive Hydrological Information System (HIS) in India providing scientifically verified, uniformly accepted and widely accessed hydrological records covering all aspects of the hydrological cycle. More than the improved and standardised hydro-meteorological and geo-hydrological monitoring brought the project was instrumental in setting in a paradigm shift from relatively isolated water resources development,

towards comprehensive planning development and management of water resources in a river basin context. The project established a platform for water agencies in India to learn from each other, which encouraged them to modernize existing hydro-meteorological monitoring systems, move from manual to Real-Time Data Acquisition Systems (RTDAS), and develop tools for Integrated Water Resources Planning and Management with the objective to enhance the productivity and cost effectiveness of water related investments.

The States which have benefitted from the Phase-I are Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Tamil Nadu; and the 6 central agencies involved are Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR), Central Water Commission (CWC), Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), Central Water

Hydrology Project- Building Water resources information BackBone

and Power Research Station (CWPRS), National Institute of Hydrology (NIH) and India Meteorological Department (IMD). Joining phase-II were four new states including Himachal Pradesh, Puducherry and Punjab and two central agencies are Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) and Central Pollution Control Board – (CPCB). Overall, the Hydrology Project has so far involved 29 implementing agencies in 13 states (State Surface Water and Groundwater Departments) and 8 central government agencies.

Highlights on key achievements of the Hydrology Project are:

1. Development of India’s Hydrological Information System (HIS)

HIS includes the development of monitoring networks of hydro-meteorological and groundwater observation stations and data management systems for surface water, groundwater and water quality data.

(i) Networks of Hydro-meteorological Stations

Extended observation networks for measuring hydro-meteorological and geo-hydrological parameters with improved technology for reliable and accurate measurement – including automation with RTDAS stations, which transmit data directly to data processing centres - were developed in various parts of the country. The RTDAS for hydrological monitoring include radar type water level recorders for rivers and reservoirs, snow gauges, automatic weather stations, Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCP), and Digital Water Level Recorders (DWLR) equipped with telemetry for groundwater observation wells. Real-time monitoring of water quality data has also been initiated by CPCB and CWC under the project at few critical locations on the Ganges and Yamuna Rivers.

Data Centre in Himachal Pradesh River gauging stationFlow measurement using ADCP

(ii) Web-based Data Management System

Web-based software have been developed to modernize the desktop based data entry, processing, storage and dissemination systems developed under HP-I into a centralized database management system, in order to ensure uniformity in HIS procedures across the States and Regions and release the burden of software maintenance for State Agencies. Users in State and Central Agencies are now enabled to enter and process data on-line, within their own virtual data repository, and require only a computer with internet connection to upload and access their data. The software developed during the project tenure are (a) Surface Water Information System (e-SWIS), (b) Groundwater Estimation and Management System (e-GEMS), and (c) GIS based web-Portal for Water Quality Data (e-WQIS).

In addition, the CWC in a joint venture with Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is developing a Web Enabled Water Resources Information System called India-WRIS WebGIS. The main objective of this system is provide a Single Window’ solution for comprehensive, authoritative and consistent data & information of India’s water resources along with allied natural resources in a standardized national GIS framework (WGS-84 datum and LCC projection) tools to search, access, visualize, understand and analyze the data for assessment, monitoring, planning, development and finally Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). As the development goes further, it is envisaged that all the web-based software developed under the HP-II will all merge into India-WRIS WebGIS to make more comprehensive Information System.

(iii) Data UseThe HIS data was accessed by many public, private and civil society organisations. The diverse agencies demanding data included government departments, local government bodies, water utilities, industries, research institutions and farmers. These agencies used data for such divergent purposes like water resources planning for irrigation, design of varied structures, assessment of hydropower potential, as well as settlement of water disputes.

2. River Basin Planning and Water Resources Management Tools

The Project developed and implemented several Decision Support Systems (DSS) for water resources planning, flood forecasting and real-time reservoir operation systems for flood management, and Hydrologic Design Aids (HDA). These tools enable decision makers and water resources management agencies to improve integrated water resources development planning and management for river basins and to enhance productivity and cost effectiveness of water related investments.

(i) Decision Support System (DSS) for Water Resources Planning and Management

Lead facilitated by NIH and assisted by consultants, an extensive DSS for integrated water resources planning, development and management was developed and implemented. The DSS (P) modules include surface water planning; groundwater use planning; integrated reservoir operation; irrigation management; drought monitoring, assessment and management; planning of conjunctive use of surface and groundwater; and water quality management. On pilot basis, the DSS framework was set-up in 13 river basins across 9 States. The framework basically includes a dashboard to display, analyze and test various water use and development scenarios in GIS and tabular platforms. This dashboard is license free and can be used to process data on a GIS platform. It further includes proprietary water resources system and (distributed) rainfall-runoff models for hydrological modelling and water allocation simulation. The DSS-P has supported the understanding of the impacts of various interventions and decisions such as recommendations for new structures to augment drinking water supply, irrigation management through enhanced reservoir operations, opportunities for crop diversification, development of plans for conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater along with artificial recharge, and sustainable groundwater management. Kerala has championed DSS-P applications through 17 applications and plans to upscale the applications to all river basins in Kerala.

(ii) Hydrological Design Aids (HDA):

The CWC took the lead with support from consultants, Hydrologic Design Aids (HDA) software has been developed for use by Surface Water Agencies. The software facilitates and expedites the hydrological design of infrastructures (e.g. design flood analysis for gauged and un-gauged catchments), water resources availability assessments and reservoir sedimentation analysis, and would also, for the first time, provide the basis for uniform project design approaches among States and between States and Central Agencies. The HDA software has in-built facilities to integrate GIS and Excel type functionalities. Part of the data analysis and processing functionalities included in the previously employed HYMOS system has also been incorporated into the HDA.

DSS (P) Software Dashboard

(MoWR: IndiaWRIS)Web-based sharing of non-classified data

http://www.india-wris.nrsc.gov.in

Surface Water: E-SWIS(data entry, storage and

dissemination)

Ground Water: E-GEMS(groundwater estimation

and management system)

Water Quality: E-WQIS (GIS based Water Quality

Portal)

Hydrology Project - 2

(iii) Stream Flow Forecasting and Reservoir Operation Systems for Flood Management

For the first time in India, stream flow forecasting and real-time reservoir operation is able to provide a significant lead time for early flood warning and disaster preparedness, even for smaller catchments. The system makes use of seasonal and three days satellite based precipitation forecasts (Regional Integrated Multi-hazard Early Warning System - RIMES) and integrates real-time hydrological information with hydrological, hydrodynamic and reservoir operation models. The system facilitates the scheduling of reservoir releases and the operation of hydropower turbines and spillway gates, the issuance of flood warnings, and the deployment of area evacuation measures. The Bhakra-Beas Management Board (BBMB) makes extensive use of these tools for operational planning of the Bhakra and Pong dams in the Sutlej and Beas river basins (Real-Time Decision Support System - RTDSS). The Maharashtra Surface Water Department uses a similar system in the Upper Krishna and Upper Bhima river basins for the integrated (flood) management of 42 reservoirs (Real-Time Stream Flow Forecasting and Reservoir Operation System -

RTSF & ROS). The system helps with minimizing flood impacts in the lower reaches of the river basins by minimizing the sudden flow releases from reservoirs which has been one of the major reasons for downstream floods. BBMB has been able to improve its management of Bhakra and Pong dams during the 2013 monsoon season, to the extent that no flooding occurred, whereas in 1988 severe flooding occurred at the end of the monsoon season under the same total inflow conditions in both years.

3. Groundwater Management Aquifer MappingCGWB has commenced the National Aquifer Mapping Program (NAQUIM) to prepare aquifer management plans and introduce participatory community groundwater management across the nation. Under the Hydrology Project, 6 pilot projects were selected to test advanced geophysical survey techniques and guide the implementation of the National Aquifer Mapping Program. The pilot projects included the organization of existing databases, hydro-geological modeling and field tests, geophysical investigations and exploratory drilling. Geophysical tests involving advanced technologies, including heliborne Transient Electro Magnetic (TEM) geophysical surveys, were carried out for the first time in India. The Heli-TEM method energizes the ground by means of sending a

current pulse in the transmitter loop hanging in the air and towed below a helicopter by a rope. The difference in the return signal provides the extent of aquifers.

Water Quality MonitoringWater quality data collection and management formed a key focus of the project. Activities have included consolidation and upgrading of laboratories in addition to establishing new facilities. Some pioneering work has also been initiated with CPCB in this direction.

4. Capacity BuildingConsidering the huge human resource support requirement on HIS, the project designed and implemented a nationwide capacity building strategy and action plan. Training Framework was established early in the Project and Training Coordinators were appointed. Central Agencies (CWC, CGWB, NIH and CWPRS) played a pivotal role in providing a variety of training courses, including Training-of-Trainer (ToT) courses for the various HP-II Implementing Agencies. Training courses provided under the Project, covered a gamut of topics, including real-time data dissemination, DSS-P, MIKE BASIN, MIKE SHE, WQ analysis, geo-informatics, telemetry, data processing, HDA, RTDAS and RTDSS, drought management, O&M protocols, etc. In addition to the various trainings, guidance was also provided to all the IAs regarding their transition to sustainable institutions and change management. A series of HIS awareness workshops were conducted and a manual was developed and shared with all agencies to take up HIS promotion activities forward. Some specific visual tools (posters, brochures, pamphlets) were also designed for wider circulation. As HIS data are being widely used by various stakeholders, Hydrological Data User Groups (HDUGs) were formed in all HP-II implementing states and meetings are being conducted with the user groups on regular basis.

for more information Please contactProject Website : http://hydrology-project.gov.in/

PCS: Commissioner - 011-2436 4724 (commgwhp-mowr@nic.in) Avanish Kant (Sr. Hydro-geologist) - 011-2346 7089

Real Time Flood Streamflow Forecasting and Reservoir Operation System - Upper Krishna & Bhima Basins

Heliborne TEM geophysical survey

DSS (P) Training Workshop