PRESENTATION

Technical and Research Needs for South India Water Management Programme

By Oxfam India, Bangalore, India

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Project Goal

To secure livelihoods and ensure food security for the marginalised through integrated management of water resources by rural and urban communities on long term basis in South India.

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Project Purpose

Ensure food security to women and men of the poor in rural areas through integrated water management.

Influence national water policy in favour of the poor.

Strengthen Oxfam India by enhancing its supporter base from a current 17,000 donors.

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Project Scope

Focus is on 6 river basins across the 4 States of South India.

Project will address policy and legal issues relating to water management.

Target group - women and men of Dalit and landless families, small and marginal farmers and other poor sections in rural and urban areas.

5 Water Resource Regions of India

6 Location of Rivers Selected

Location of Rivers Selected

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Arkavati river, Karnataka

Drainage : Arkavati Cauvery Bay of Bengal

Location : Near Bangalore City

Area : 1460 sq. km.

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Major Issues – Urban part of Arkavati

Price of rapid development Conversion of tanks in Bangalore loss in quality of life and in Microclimate.

Kempambudhikere tank City Bus stand

Sampangikere Sports Stadium

Tanks allotted to various Government Departments

Nagashettihallii – Space department

Kadugondanahalli- Medical College

In 1890 – 2000 tanks in Bangalore Urban & Rural districts

In 2003 – 700 of which only 127 alive

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Issues – Urban Arkavati…..contd

Equity concerns within citySlums pay more – rich colonies pay less.

No differential pricing mechanism for getting 5 Star Hotels, etc. to pay more.

Roof Water Harvesting

Legislation for making roof water harvesting mandatory just tabled. But skills for this not available widely.

Water Quality

Poor control over industrial and household pollution polluted water.

10 Issues – Urban vs Rural Arkavati

Appropriation of water by cityCity draws water resources but does not develop them.

More cash crops are grown for city more water used in rural areas transfer of embodied water.

Transfer of Pollution

City dumps waste in Arkavati pollution downstream.

Industries relocate to suburbs waste dumping.

11 Issues –Rural Arkavati

Degradation of water resourcesCatchments encroached & degraded.

Excessive extraction by rich sections Groundwater dropping sharply

• Drying of shallow open wells

• Increase in incidence of flourosis.

• Increased water markets poor pay to “water lords”.

Livelihood Impacts

No water Migration to City or take to sex working Increase in HIV

Pesticides in water poor water quality

Poor unable to cope with cash agriculture Debts Farmers’ suicides

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Rural Issues- Arkavati...contd

Equity ConcernsSections facing exclusion from water entitlements :

Poor - lack resources to dig deeper subsistence agriculture impossible.

Landless - have no stake in developing water for agriculture.

“Lower” castes - denied access to water due to untouchability.

On the Positive SideNumber of demonstrations of judicious use of water are available :

• Organic farmers in rural Arkavati grow organic fruits and vegetables.

• Madagsacar method of paddy cultivation spreading fast.

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Activities taken up in Urban Arkavati

1. Study of Water situation and resources in Bangalore

Results expected

Forming a Citizens Forum on water conservation and rejuvenation of tanks.

Design - campaign for tackling diverse issues on water – entry point through preservation of tanks in Bangalore.

Incorporation of water management in Urban Planning for Bangalore.

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Activities in Urban Arkavati …contd

2. Fellowship: Water Conservation

Fellow : Ayyappa Masagi

Areas of work

Design do-it-yourself booklets on roof water harvesting for 3 budgets.

Train masons, engineers, etc. in roof water harvesting- domestic & industrial use in rural & urban areas.

Scale up work done on recharging borewells and open wells.

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Activities in Rural Arkavati

Initial meeting of stakeholders of basin conducted. Need for forum felt.

Campaign on water being planned.

Hydrological study in 2 first order streams of Arkavati with CSWCRTC, Bellary initiated.

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Rural Arkavati…contd.

2. Fellowship: Dalits & Water

Fellow : C S Parthasarthy

Areas of work

Studying socio-economic, political and caste-based exclusion of “lower” castes from water entitlements.

Working on building in equity for “lower” castes in IWRM projects.

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Issues in Musi river, Andhra Pradesh

Weavers’ town Pochampalli : Clean water not available for processing and washing silk dyes. Quality has deteriorated shrinking customer base.

Other issues same as Arkavati

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Issues in ChitravatiResource concerns• Declining agriculture productivity large-scale migration to urban

centres like Anantapur and Bangalore.

• Poorest women resorting to sex-working a rapid increase in HIV incidence.

• Good example of conversion of irrigation tanks to percolation tanks in Anantapur. Remarkable impact on water table. Scaling up of this in other parts of the district / state ?

Equity concerns

• Landed vs landless

• “Upper vs “lower” castes

• Upstream vs Downstream villages

• Interstate issues – upstream in Karnataka, downstream in Andhra Pradesh

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Sarda River, Andhra Pradesh

Feasibility for micro hydropower unit on irrigation canal. Combining Participatory Irrigation Management and Community Microhydel programme.

Build capacities of local people to own and manage the irrigation and Microhydel programmes and industries.

Organising village communities into co-operatives for ensuring fair price to their produce.

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SAKTI

Objectives of collaboration with SAKTI

Studying the legal and administrative principles and practices in IWRM in four Southern states.

Identifying areas where people can participate to check abuse of legal system.

Capacity building of partners, preparation of manuals on legal and administrative matters on water.

Support struggles of tribals for their water rights and strengthen their bargaining power though Panchayats.

Explore opportunities for equity in distribution of natural resources to ensure food security.

Study privatisation proposals of water.

21 Emerging issues for Technical and Research Support

A. Areas for Support

1. Hydrology

Geo-hydrological studies for groundwater mapping and estimation for early warning and to minimise wastages in drilling.

Potential of using tracers for groundwater mapping and estimation.

Methods monitoring impact of groundwater extraction on groundwater reserves.

Techniques for recharging groundwater in diverse geo-climatic landscapes.

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2. Action - Research : Health of River Ecosystems

Ecological aspects of river basins – framework for proscriptions and prescriptions and means to operationalise the same.

Freshwater biodiversity in flowing and stagnant water bodies in selected river basins.

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3. Basin Level Water Management

Mechanisms for addressing equity concerns between :

Rural and urban areas

Rich and poor households in rural and urban areas

Downstream and upstream users

Land-owning and landless households

“Higher” and “lower” castes –exclusion by untouchability.

Basin level conflict resolution mechanisms :

Water parliaments, payments-downstreamers, cropping pattern, etc.

Formulation & implementation of participatory river basin level plans for water management.

Modelling and basin level scenario building s/w - WEAP

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4. Demand Side Management of Water

Water budgeting exercises at demand and supply side at basin, village and household level as a tool for demand management.

Technical and institutional issues in waste water recycling at basin level to increase water use efficiency.

Advantages and pitfalls of water markets in demand side water management.

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5. Water in AgricultureExperimentation / comparative analysis of various water

conservation methods for “more crop per drop” :

Drip, Sprinklers, Composting, Alternate cropping patterns, Organic agriculture – Composting, Integrated Pest Management, etc.

Sustainable water management in reducing farmers’ suicides.

Embodied Water Analysis of current cropping patterns.

Testing / upscaling – low cost, portable water & soil testing kits.

Issues/ methods in designing and realizing sustainable groundwater management strategy.

Water markets in agriculture – Water Lords in selected sub-basins in South India.

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6. Urban Dimensions of Water

Potential of integrating water management concepts in Urban Planning – the case of Bangalore and Hyderabad cities.

The potential and technical, legal and capacity building issues in roof water harvesting for rural and urban needs.

Technologies and management issues in waste water recycling in urban areas.

Methods for regeneration and sustainable management of lakes/ tanks for micro-climate improvement in Bangalore.

Recycling and processing of urban waste for reducing health hazards and improving water availability in urban areas.

Technical, legal and public administration measures to estimate and treat industrial water in urban areas.

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7. Issues Related to Drinking Water

Technological options for low cost water quality testing kits for drinking water.

Water pollution monitoring and treatment

The role of drinking water markets in use, wastage and equitable management of drinking water in selected river basins.

Understanding linkages of agriculture with drinking water quality and quantity –study of contamination of drinking water by agriculture inputs like fertilisers and pesticides.

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8. Other Suggested Areas for Research

Understanding & strengthening linkages of water with land, livestock, forests & biodiversity resources in various agro-climatic zones of South India.

Legal and administrative ways to increase water entitlements of poorer sections in rural and urban areas of South India.

Health of river ecosystems in basins where human presence has been present for centuries – tank systems in South India.

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Other Suggested Areas …contd

Energy aspects of water management –role of microhydels in increasing quality of life and building stake in sustainability.

Role of Private sector in Water Management – profits, corporate responsibility and technical assistance.

Use of modelling tools for water supply and demand - selected sub-basins.

Constraints/opportunities – current policy, legal & administrative systems for better equity at State level (to start with).

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B. Nature of Collaborations possible

Collaborative projects with universities, research institutions and other resource agencies on specific technological and research issues related to water resources management.

Placement of students / volunteers to do basic research work on focused subjects.

Capacity building in water resources management for building pools of trained manpower.

Learning from experiments in other parts of the world in all above issues.

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Major Collaborating Institutions• CSWCRTI, Dehradun and its Centre at Bellary, Karnataka

• Centre for Science & Environment, New Delhi.

• Centre for Social and Economic Studies, Hyderabad.

• Centre for Water Resources, Anna University, Chennai.

• Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore.

• Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore

• Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bangalore.

• International Water Management Institute, Colombo

• Irrigation Management and Training Institute, Tiruchi.

• Madras Institute of Development Studies, Chennai.

• MANAGE, Hyderabad.

• Tarun Bharat Sangh, Alwar, Rajasthan

• Water and Land Management and Training Institute, Hyderabad.

• Water and Land Management Institute, Dharwad.

• Water Technology Centre, TN Agri University, Coimbatore.

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