Unit 3: Water Management

• Chapter 1: Water Condition and Water Challenges in Maharashtra

o Maharashtra State: Rainfall
▪ Location: Tropical region.
▪ Influencing Factors: Arabian Sea, latitudinal extent, southwest and
northeast monsoon, eastern plateau region.
▪ Monsoons:
▪ Southwest Monsoon (June-September): Provides 85% of
rainfall.
▪ Northeast Monsoon (October-January): "Retreat monsoon".
▪ Annual Average Rainfall: Approximately 1360 mm.
▪ Regional Variations:
▪ Konkan: 2000 to 3500 mm.
▪ Western Maharashtra, Marathwada, Vidarbha: Only 45%
water available for human use (Konkan has 55%).
▪ Rainfed Region (East of Sahyadri): As low as 450 mm,
increasing to 1000-1400 mm in eastern parts.
▪ Drought Region:
▪ Covers approximately 61,600 sqkm (20% of state area).
▪ Rainfall: 300 to 500 mm.
▪ Houses 6% of Maharashtra's total population.
o Availability of Water in Maharashtra
▪ Annual Availability: Average 5,782.8 TMC litres.
▪ National Share: 14.59% of India’s total water availability.
▪ Usable Water: 4,447.8 TMC (76.91% of state’s total, 29.10% of India's
usable water).
▪ Main Sources for Human Consumption:
▪ Direct Use: Used immediately when it rains.
▪ Surface Water Reservoir: Rivers, ponds, dams, sarovar, lakes.
▪ Ground Water Reservoir: Water seeps into soil, accessible via
brooklets, wells, tube wells, canals.
▪ Interdependence: Surface and groundwater are interchangeable; need for
combined accounting as consumption increases.
o Water Challenges Facing Maharashtra State
▪ Overall: Despite abundant natural resources, lack of proper planning
and management worsens water problems. Droughts are frequent and
dangerous (e.g., 38.63% of Marathwada villages).
▪ Main Reasons:
1. Unequal Distribution of Water Resources: More than half of
rainfall is in Konkan, leading to permanent drought in ~126
talukas. Sahyadri range blocks monsoon winds, causing varied
rainfall patterns.
2. Need for Effective Planning: Despite sufficient average rainfall,
demand is increasing tremendously due to population growth
(>5x), green revolution, infrastructure, and industrial progress.
80% of agricultural land in Maharashtra is dryland, and many
villages face drinking water shortages annually.
3. Ignoring Ground Water and Drought Crisis: High dependence
on groundwater for irrigation (70% of irrigated land, ~28.75 lakh
hectares). Over 85% of groundwater is used for irrigation, leading
to rapidly reducing groundwater levels due to large-scale
extraction by an estimated 20 lakh bore wells.
4. Increasing Demand for Civilization and Industrialisation:
Rural-to-urban migration drives increased demand for drinking,
industrial, and domestic water in urban areas. Industrial water
demand is 194 crore litres/day.
5. Inadequate Utilisation of Irrigation Capacity: Many irrigation
projects are incomplete (e.g., canals), leading to delays, increased
 costs, and reduced expected growth in the irrigation sector.
Sedimentation further reduces dam capacities.
6. Improper and Excessive Use of Water: Excessive per capita
water use in some cities (250 litres/day). Over-irrigation of crops
like sugarcane wastes water and causes soil salinity, reducing crop
production.
7. Water Pollution: A major problem from discharge of wastewater,
chemicals, domestic waste, and industrial sewage into rivers and
brooklets. Activities like washing clothes/animals/vehicles and
religious immersions contribute. Leads to severe health problems
like jaundice, typhoid, and cholera.
o Remedies on Current Water Crisis
▪ Overall Approach: Alleviate crisis, ensure adequate water for agriculture,
industries, and urban areas.
▪ Required Actions:
▪ Extensive public awareness and participation in water
conservation.
▪ Groundwater recharge.
▪ Purification of polluted water.
▪ Drip, sprinkler, and micro-irrigation.
▪ Full utilisation of irrigation capacity.
▪ Water auditorship and water literacy campaigns.
▪ Successful Examples of Remedies:
1. Devsane (Manjarpada) Project: In Dindori Taluka, Nashik
District, western-flowing water from Sahyadri mountains was
diverted to the east via a 10 km tunnel.
2. Use of Sludge from Lake and Dam: Sludge removed from dams
and lakes for highway construction and agriculture, increasing
water reserves and making farm soil fertile.
▪ Example: Green Thumbs Pune at Khadakwasala Dam
cleaned silt with public participation, serving as a model for
other river basins.
3. Inexpensive Basalt/Pashan Lakes: Stone quarries converted into
reservoirs.
▪ These lakes naturally store rainwater and hill run-off, with
water processed for drinking.
▪ Proper quarrying practices ensure reservoir formation (e.g.,
specific depth, slope, fencing).
▪ Example: Borghar Haweli in Raigad district overcame
water scarcity by cleaning old mines, eliminating the need
for tankers.