Central Water and Power Research Station
The Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS), Khadakwasla, Pune, is the centre of excellence in hydraulic research at the national level. From it’s beginning in 1916 as an institution dealing with the twin problems of irrigation and drainage, it has grown to a hydraulic institution of international standing. The CWPRS undertakes basic and applied research in the fields of hydraulics, geo-technical engineering and allied subjects of hydrology and water resource analysis; and is in the forefront in the use of complex physical and mathematical modeling techniques in solving diverse water resources issues related to riverine and coastal environment. As the Regional laboratory of ESCAP since 1971, CWPRS has offered its services to a number of projects in the neighbourhood as well as countries in the Middle East and Africa.
The major disciplines/laboratories of CWPRS are, Hydrology and Water Resources Analysis, River Engineering, Reservoir and Appurtenant Structures, Coastal and Offshore Engineering, Ship Hydrodynamics, Hydraulic Machinery, Earth Science, Mathematical Modeling, foundations and Structures and Instrumentation and Control Engineering. About 50 divisions with state-of-the-art equipment and software supported by infrastructure of high standards and associated with these disciplines are engaged in research.
Central Ground Water Board
The Central Ground Water Board is the National apex organisation in the field of ground water under the Ministry of Water Resources, Government of India. The Board is vested with the mandate to ‘‘Develop and Disseminate technologies for scientific and sustainable development and management of India’s ground water resources including monitoring, exploration, assessment and augmentation’’. The Board is headed by the Chairman who also heads the Central Ground Water Authority. It has four technical wings, namely,
- Survey, Assessment and Monitoring
- Exploratory Drilling and Material Management
- Sustainable Management and Liaison
- Training and Technology Transfer
Each wing is headed by a Member. There are 18 Regional Directorates, 10 State Unit offices and 17 Divisional offices throughout the country.
The Central Ground Water Board carries out ground water management studies in ~ 2 lakh sq km area every year to evaluate the changes in quantity and quality in the ground water regime owing to development activities and prepare ground water management plan. The data generated from these investigations provide a scientific base for preparation of ground water development schemes by the state governments. Areas having problem of ground water depletion, seawater ingress and ground water pollution, etc., are accorded priority and special studies are undertaken to assess the magnitude of the problem and suggest remedial measures.
Exploratory drilling aided by geophysical and remote sensing studies is carried out to decipher the potentiality of various geological formations. The Board has drilled 13487 exploratory wells till 31 March 2006. The successful exploratory wells are handed over to the state governments for utilisation. In addition, it has constructed 5364 observation wells, 2674 piezometers and 337 slim holes to collect scientific data. Priority is accorded to the areas affected by natural calamity such as droughts, earthquake, tsunami as well as tribal areas to assist the State governments for mitigating the drinking water problems. At present ground water exploration to demarcate the arsenic-free aquifer in the affected areas of Indo-Gangetic plains is under progress.
The Central Ground Water Board is engaged in countrywide ground water monitoring through a network of 15600 shallow and deep observation wells to assess the changes in ground water regime in time and space. Ground water levels are measured four times a year and water samples are collected once in a year during April/May to generate background information of ground water quality on regional scale. Select observation wells are equipped with digital water level recorder (DWLR) (~1200 in number) to give high frequency data for observing regular changes in water level at the selected site.
To meet the two-fold challenge of increased water demands and reduced availability of fresh water in the country, the Central Ground Water Board has promoted the practice of artificial recharge to ground water including Rain Water Harvesting. The CGWB has implemented demonstrative artificial recharge schemes and constructed more than 750 artificial recharge structures to establish their suitability in different hydro-geological setups in the country with active involvement of State government departments. Impact assessment of the Artificial Recharge structures has shown rise in ground water levels/arrest of declining trends, improvement in ground water quality and increased sustainability of ground water abstraction structures. The experiences gained have been disseminated through manuals, guides, pamphlets, films and through mass awareness and training programmes in local languages. The Board has provided site-specific designs for artificial recharge and rainwater harvesting structures for more than 2500 buildings to various Central/State governments departments, industries, and individuals in the country free of cost.
The Central Ground Water Board is taking up R&D Studies/Special Studies in collaboration with premier Government Organisations/Institutes which are engaged in specific field of study related to ground water. The areas of collaboration are Ground Water Modelling, Isotope studies, demarcation of fresh-saline water interface, etc., with NIH, BARC, GSI and other organisations. These studies have helped in better understanding and solving of the problem. The Board, with the help of its scientific, research and developmental activities, provide assistance to the State governments through recommendations for better ground water development and management practices.
The CGWB has played a lead role in standardisation of methodologies for collection, validation, processing and analysis of ground water related data. The CGWB has developed dedicated software Groundwater Estimation and Management System (GEMS) for ground water data processing and analysis. The Board is taking up Hydrology Project-II in 12 states (Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab) with an objective to improve water resource planning and management, management of droughts and shared vision between and amongst the stakeholders. The duration of the project is 6 years.
The Board regularly publishes scientific reports and maps on ground water development and management scenario. It has published Hydro-geological Map, Hydro-geological Atlases, State Reports, District Reports, Master Plan on Artificial Recharge to Ground Water, Guidelines on Artificial Recharge to Ground Water, etc. The Board has also prepared user-friendly ‘‘Ground Water User Maps’’ of 500 districts of the country. The CGWB is also preparing Watershed Atlas on 1: 2,50,000 scale to meet the requirement of ground water assessment. The Board has been regularly publishing its scientific activities since 1985 through a quarterly journal, Bhujal News, which also includes referred scientific contributions.
The Central Ground Water Board is providing training in the field of ground water investigations, development and management techniques and more than 2500 professionals and sub-professionals of CGWB and other Central and State government organisations have been trained. The courses involve induction level course for ground water scientists and water well drilling engineers, use of advanced technologies in remote sensing, GIS, geophysics, hydro-chemical, ground water modeling, artificial recharge, etc. At present, 16 training courses are being organised to train ~250 officers and staff yearly.
The Central Ground Water Authority has been constituted under Section 3 (3) of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to regulate and control development and management of ground water resources in the country. The Authority has notified 20 severely Critical/Over exploited areas in the country for regulation of ground water development and 51 areas for registration of existing ground water abstraction structures till date. The CGWB is regulating withdrawal of ground water by new industries/projects in over exploited and critical blocks through clearance of such proposals. The Authority also conducts regular Mass Awareness and Water Management Training Programmes throughout the country as proactive measures to create awareness and capacity building in ground water management.
Farakka Barrage Project
The Farakka Barrage Project with 112 gates is designed to serve the need of preservation and maintenance of Kolkata Port by improving the regime and navigability of the Bhagirathi - Hoogly river system. Subsequently river Bhagirathi, the Feeder Canal and Navigation Lock at Farakka form part of the Haldia-Allahabad Inland Waterways and Feeder Canal is supplying water to NTPC, Super Thermal Power at Farakka. The principal components of the projects are
- 2245 meter long barrage across the river Ganga with a rail-cum-road bridge which is connecting South and East India with North-Eastern Region, necessary river training works and a head regulator on the right side,
- 213 meter long barrage across river Bhagirathi at Jangipur.
- Feeder canal of 1113 cubic metres per second (40000 cubic feet per second) discharge carrying capacity and 38.38 km. long, off-taking from the head regulator on the right of Farakka Barrage and
- Navigation works such as locks, lock channels, shelter basins, navigation lights and other infrastructure.
In 2005, Government of India, Ministry of Water Resources has extended the jurisdiction of Farakka Barrage Project up to Rajmahal in the upstream (40 km. from Farakka Barrage) and up to Jalangi in downstream (80 km. from Farakka Barrage) for taking up the anti-erosion and bank protection works only.
Accordingly, Farakka Barrage Project started executing critical anti-erosion works during the year 2005 in the vulnerable reaches both in upstream of Farakka Barrage (left bank) in the Malda district and in downstream of Farakka Barrage (right bank) in Murshidabad district of West Bengal in the extended jurisdiction in addition to the works in its original jurisdiction. These works continued in 2006 also and prominent among them are works along rivers Fulahar, Mahananda and Kulik in Dinajpur district, Bhagirathi in Murshidabad district, river Ganga near Panchanandapur in Malda District and around Dhuliyan in Murshidabad district. The above works done have proved to be very useful and beneficial.
Further, as a part of West Bengal Corridor Development Project, Ministry of Shipping and Road Transport and Highway has undertaken preparation of Detail Project Report (DPR) for construction of additional 2-lane road bridge over Farakka Barrage.
