1. Biksham Gujja and Shiva Kumar Kanike
TAJ PALACE, NEW DELHI | 12 – 14 SEPTEMBER 2016
Variability of river discharges: A major challenge for water allocations and water management in India
Biksham Gujja and Shiva Kumar Kanike
* Senior Water Policy adviser, WWF-International ( ), Now with AgSri Agricultural Services pvt ltd, Road no 10, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad – 34  :
Scientist H+ Gouvernement of India (until 2015), Now with AgSri Agricultural Services pvt ltd, Road 10, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad –  :

2. Key Challenges for Water Allocation in India
TAJ PALACE, NEW DELHI | 12 – 14 SEPTEMBER 2016
Key Challenges for Water Allocation in India
Increasing scarcity of fresh water
Climate induced uncertainty in precipitation
Variability in intensity and periodicity of river flows and floods
Basin closure and lack of more sites for water infrastructure
Excessive surface and ground water exploitation
Growth and Change in economy leading to more variety users and demands
Decline of freshwater ecosystems and loss of river system functions
Inter state and Inter basin conflicts

3. Water management: Conceptual frame work
TAJ PALACE, NEW DELHI | 12 – 14 SEPTEMBER 2016
Water management: Conceptual frame work
Water management is gaining importance in India
Managing the variability needs new approaches, strategy and investments
Demand management- improving the per unit of productivity, not acreage, not TMC
Releasing water from dam requires sophisticated computer models
Reducing water conflicts: Conflicts will not improve the water availability
There is no way one can irrigate all the lands, that is not even an option
Telangana has unique opportunity to do things differently
Farmers don’t need more irrigation, they need increased income
Cost benefit is the key principle

4. TAJ PALACE, NEW DELHI | 12 – 14 SEPTEMBER 2016
GODAVARI RIVER BASIN

5. Sri Ram Sagar Project (SRSP)
TAJ PALACE, NEW DELHI | 12 – 14 SEPTEMBER 2016
Sri Ram Sagar Project (SRSP)
On main Godavari with a capacity of 2,600 MCM or 92 TMC
To irrigate lakh acres in two stages
Canals: Kakatiya, Saraswati and Laxmi Canal

6. Some questions to understand
TAJ PALACE, NEW DELHI | 12 – 14 SEPTEMBER 2016
Some questions to understand
What is the variability of water inflows into the dam over period of time?
Is there any significant change over last 30 years?
What is the quantity of water being let into Godavari after dam is full - year wise, month wise, daily?
Is there any possibility of diverting some of the flood flow using current FF canal?
By changing the storage schedule of Dam, is there a possibility of using more water without compromising the current use?
What are the cropping pattern today and is there way to improve water use efficiency?
Is there a possibility of using water more efficiently without compromising the current production?
Is there possibility of reducing the variability by creating new storages or managing water better?

7. Variation of total water quantity is about twice
TAJ PALACE, NEW DELHI | 12 – 14 SEPTEMBER 2016
Correlation is observed in rainfall data, compounded water quantity and the river out flow at Yelli and Inflows of SRSP
 Variation of total water quantity is about twice
 High amount of water observed at SRSP than the Yelli may be due to addition during the course of the river

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Water allocations done with 75% dependability is highly variable with period of time

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11. TAJ PALACE, NEW DELHI | 12 – 14 SEPTEMBER 2016
Max(TMC)
Annual(TMC)
In flow 2004
9.08
110.72
In flow 2005
1.82
18.77
In flow 2006
27.76
369.27
In flow 2007
40.78
506.35
In flow 2008
6.97
90.13
In flow 2009
12.03
118.25
In flow 2010
3.90
32.90
In flow 2011
10.01
294.44
In flow 2012
15.73
163.36
In flow 2013
8.24
54.48
In flow 2014
12.32
231.10
On 7th August 2006 river discharge into the dam is as high as 1155 MCM or TMC, which is three times of the entire year 2015 (15 TMC)

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13. Inflow-Outflow during full reservoir
TAJ PALACE, NEW DELHI | 12 – 14 SEPTEMBER 2016
Inflow-Outflow during full reservoir

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15. Water utilized upto 146.1 TMC per anum in 1999-2000
TAJ PALACE, NEW DELHI | 12 – 14 SEPTEMBER 2016
Water usage at SRSP
Water utilized upto TMC per anum in
Two years utilized water reduced to 0 TMC ( and )
Water sufficient year is catering to the water deficient year (eg followed by ; similarly followed by )
Necessity of better management of unutilized water is warranted

16. Discharges to various canals during 2008-2014
TAJ PALACE, NEW DELHI | 12 – 14 SEPTEMBER 2016
Discharges to various canals during
(All data in TMC)
Year
Inflow
Kakathiya
Canal
Saraswathi Canal
Lakshmi
Power
Lift
Irrigation
Industry
Total Utility
Godavari River
Evaporation Losses
Total Out flow
2008 93 39 10 1 51 5 56
2009
129 81 13 3
100 14
113
2010 34 21 2 26 6 31
2011
309 94 12 33
149
137 15
299
2012
167
140 22
175
2013 54 9 46
2014
236 91 66 17
222

17. Increase of ppt during monsoon only
TAJ PALACE, NEW DELHI | 12 – 14 SEPTEMBER 2016
Climate Change
Mean annual precipitation increases by 14% by mid century, 18% by end century
Increase of ppt during monsoon only
High risk of floods and draught (Gosain et al 2011)

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Due to change in crop pattern significant improvement in the productivity since 2008

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Take home points
Variation: The inflows are highly variant from year to year and within a year and on day to day basis. Large quantity of water comes in very short period of time during the flood year
During the drought year, the flow goes down as low as 19 TMC
Daily flow: exceed even 40 TMC, which is thrice the inflow in drought year.
The current water utilization seem to range from 26 to 149 TMC.
There is enough water in certain years, but needs management strategy
Future Approach
Study on optimal diversion, FF Canal and water diversion.
Releasing water before it attains FRL
Predicting the flows high quality catchment modeling

20. Dealing with Variability
TAJ PALACE, NEW DELHI | 12 – 14 SEPTEMBER 2016
Dealing with Variability
Understand the water entitlements at the beginning of the project
Prioritize water users
Proportional reduction
Ensure that decisions do not foreclose future options
Establishment of strong monitoring systems to observe changes
Lower the Dependability without compromising cost effectiveness
Contingency allocations
Ensuring minimum environmental flows in the down stream

21. Water Allocation Process in India
TAJ PALACE, NEW DELHI | 12 – 14 SEPTEMBER 2016
Water Allocation Process in India
Water allocations with an objectives of equity, environmental protection,
developmental priorities, balance between demand and supply, efficient use need to
Deal with variability annual, seasonal and daily
Generalized 75% dependability water should be revisited
Climate change and human induced structures
Balancing environmental, economic, social and political complexities
Priority sectors for overall prosperity
Water pricing initiatives
Share benefits of water use rather than water itself
Sophisticated risk base environmental water flow and productivity models

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Source of Information
Discharge data
From To
Source
Bhabli
1968
1978
CWChttp://
Yelli
1979
2012
Basar
1982
Mancheryal
1967
Water inflow-outflow
At SRSP
Monthly, ayacut
State irrigation Dept
Inflow outflow daily at SRSP
2004
2014
Canal outflows from SRSP
2007
Godavari basin map India-WRIS