Inter link rivers to tackle drought, suggests Central body

Inter linking of rivers and repair of water-bodies are among several measures suggested by a central agency which studied water situation in drought-hit areas in 2015-16.
The Central Water Commission (CWC), which conducted the spot study, said "consecutive failure of monsoon" for two years was the main reason behind the scarcity of water and suggested short and long term measures specific to region, area, and state to deal with the situation.
"The report has recommended construction of water harvesting structures, mass awareness, construction of new water storage structures, inter-linking of rivers, renovation and repair of existing water bodies as some of the important measures," Union Water Resources Ministry said in a statement.

The CWC has pitched for inter-linking of rivers in regions like Marathwada in Maharashtra and Bundelkhand of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, which reeled severe water shortages last summer.
The Commission also recommended water budgeting and planning cropping patterns for the coming agricultural seasons and suggested formulating a strategy to avoid taking water intensive crops.
"Micro irrigation (sprinkler and drip) should be adopted to achieve more-crop-per-drop," it said.

The study says the minimum domestic water requirements in almost all the affected places are being met by importing water and by digging local deep bore wells.
"Ground water levels have been reported as falling in almost all regions of the country due to over exploitations and inadequate recharging mechanism. However, no specific observation on water quality has been reported at most of the areas except in Gujarat, where problem of salinity in coastal areas has been reported," it said.

According to the report, some pockets like Marathwada, Bundelkhand, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are worst hit by water scarcity.
"The main cause of water scarcity in the country is consecutive failure of monsoon, resulting low storages in dams, during last two years. Rainfall deficit in country as a whole during 2015 was 14 percent and in 2014 it was 12 percent," it said.
Year 2012 was also a deficit year with 11 percent rainfall deficiency. Consecutive less rainfall also resulted less carryover storage in reservoirs.