Introduction and Background

India is endowed with valuable natural resources that serve the needs of a population of around a billion and fulfill varied ecological functions. Since independence, the population has increased by 284 % (from 363 million to 1033 million), and food grain production has risen by 386 % (from 51 million tons to 196 million tons). The country has 150 million hectares of agricultural land, and approximately 24 % of the GDP is generated from agricultural production. The latest 'India State of Forest Report (ISFR 2021)' revealed that the total forest and tree cover of the country is 7,13,789 km2 (which is 21.72 % of the geographical area of the country). The loss of forest cover in India for the period between 1990 and 2000 was 380.89 km² annually. In peninsular river basins, the forest cover is decreasing at a rate of 136 km2 annually.

Fuelwood serves as the main source of energy for 70 % of the Indian population, with 125 million tons being extracted annually. Additionally, over half of the livestock population (270 million) depends on forests for grazing, and Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP) worth Rs. 6.5-20 billion are sourced from forests annually. Furthermore, the impacts of Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) changes on hydrological processes, such as interception, evapotranspiration, infiltration, surface runoff, groundwater recharge, stream flow, and sediment yield in a river basin, are posing serious threats to the existence of water resources in India.

India's total renewable water resources are estimated at about 1900 km³ per year. The annual supply of usable and replenishable groundwater amounts to 350 billion cubic meters. At 260 km³ per year, India uses 25 % of all groundwater extracted globally, surpassing the usage of the USA and China. At the time of India’s independence, the share of groundwater in agriculture was 35 %, which has surprisingly risen to 70 % after the Green Revolution. 90 % of rural India’s drinking water, 50 % of the water supply in urban India, and 75 % of agricultural water are based on groundwater. This indicates that we are valuing land more than water, neglecting our local water bodies, which have either gone dry or been encroached in recent years.

Another aspect is the treatment and reuse of wastewater, where about 80 % of the water that reaches households is returned as wastewater and pollutes our water bodies and the environment.

According to the 2018 Composite Water Management Index (CWMI) report released by NITI Aayog, 21 major cities, including Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, and others, were on track to reach zero groundwater levels by 2020, affecting access for 100 million people. The CWMI report also predicts that by 2030, the country's water demand will be twice the available supply, implying severe water scarcity for hundreds of millions of people and a potential 6 % loss in the country's GDP. In recent years, mineral-rich states like Jharkhand, where rivers are primarily rainfed, have been receiving pollutants from various anthropogenic sources. These include discharge of domestic sewage, effluents discharged from mine sites and coal handling plants, suspended solids from coal washeries, and air pollutants from heavy industries such as steel, power, cement, chemicals, and coke-oven plants.

Furthermore, the ecology of rivers has been deteriorating due to the loss of riverfronts, which involve the loss of forest cover along with the drainage network. Jharkhand's major rivers, including Karo, Barakar, Sankh, North Koel, Damodar, and Subarnarekha originate from different plateau regions of the state that are covered with dense tropical deciduous forests. Over the past two decades, the Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) change analysis in Jharkhand indicated a significant diversion of forest cover into settlements, without considering the impact of such irreversible LULC changes on the river ecology, particularly the riverfronts.

Ironically, stakeholders have shown greater interest in restoring and conserving riverbanks in urban contexts, focusing on improving water quality and reducing pollution, but often overlooked the root causes of riverfront deterioration, such as drainage networks and vegetation cover. This explains that there is huge scope of further studies. Data on conserved geological entities (such as the Deccan Trap, Vindhyan, Gondwana, Marginal Alluvial Plain, Central Alluvial Plain, and Piedmont Plain), forest, and geological areas conserved as natural perennial sources of river water are not available. While ecology and geology are conserved, but, wildlife and their conservation within aquatic ecosystems have not been adequately addressed at the state and national levels.

The present moment calls for the design and implementation of effective water resources management plans that can comprehensively address the interrelationships amongst the forest cover, geological formations, agricultural lands, human settlements, and industrial establishments at Village, Panchayat, Tehsils, and Districts levels.

About the Centre for Water Resource Management (CWRM)

Presently, the main objective of the "Center for Water Resource Management" (CWRM) at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad is the conservation and restoration of both surface water and groundwater resources in terms of quantity and quality through research and planning initiatives. This Center is comprised of a team of scientists from various disciplines at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad such as geology, geophysics, civil engineering, mining and mineralogy, and environmental engineering to conduct research and development in specific areas of water resources management. The center aims to achieve the following objectives:

Vision and Mission

The establishment of the Centre for Water Resource Management (CWRM) is driven by the vision of addressing "Water Security," a paramount global economic development concern categorized under the "UN-Sustainable Development Goals 2015-30 (UN-SDGs, 2015-30)." These goals encompass specific targets that encompass providing water for drinking and sanitation, enhancing water productivity in agriculture, industry, and energy sectors, addressing environmental concerns, and mitigating floods and droughts.

The Government of India has recently established a dedicated Ministry of Jal Shakti (Water), reflecting a commitment to tackle water-related issues from a comprehensive and integrated perspective. In alignment with these efforts, the "Ganga River Basin Management Plan (GRBMP)" was launched in January 2015 as a flagship mission. Its objectives involve implementing comprehensive measures to restore the health of the Ganga ecosystem and enhancing its ecological well-being, while considering the various water usage demands within the river basin. The concept of river basin management encompasses four key aspects: (i) Aviral Dhara (Uninterrupted Flow), (ii) Nirmal Dhara (Unpolluted Flow), (iii) Geologic Entity, and (iv) Ecological Entity.

Consequently, the mission of the CWRM is to generate fundamental and practical knowledge, to develop technologies, methodologies, and capabilities to facilitate the sustainable utilization and management of the Earth's water resources. In order to realize these sustainable objectives, the CWRM is structured into the following three research and development divisions:

A. Water Resource Planning (WRP): This division's main focus is to identify existing water security challenges and potential developmental opportunities for water resource planning (WRP). The key objectives include:

The deliverables of this division are aimed to safeguard and restore watersheds and water resources and their functions.

B. Water Science and Technology (WST): This division concentrates on addressing quantitative and qualitative issues of natural water flow, storage, harvesting, recharge, supply, and treatment. These issues arise due to elevated water demand, water pollution, and the emergence of pollutants. The WST division will address the following major objectives to ensure water security:

The deliverables of this division are aimed to ensure safe and adequate water supply for the present and future.

C. Water Resource Management (WRM): This division is dedicated for devising and implementing optimal management plans for ensuring water security at local, regional, and global scales. The primary objectives are:

The deliverables of this division will be useful for restoring and conserving the interrelationships amongst the atmosphere, biosphere, and hydrosphere across local, regional, and global scales.

Research Focus Area

Area of Research

Interdisciplinary team

Broad Activities

Broad Outcome

Beneficiaries