Analysis of water from

different Area of Chhattisgarh

Introduction
• Chhattisgarh covered by 4 major water-systems of India: Ganga, Mahanadi,
Narmada and Godawari.
• Mahanadi & Godawari cover 85% of the total basin area.
• CG has fairly good rainfall, yet frequent droughts in recent times plague the
State. One reason for this: neglect of traditional water harvesting practices.
• Water is a catalyst for development anywhere, but especially so in CG where
80% people have agro-based livelihood.
• Estimated utilizable water resource in CG: (a) Surface Water: 41,720 MCM;
and (b) Ground Water: 11,960 MCM.
• Water largely untapped. Potential irrigable area: 4.30 m ha. Irrigable potential
created: 1.34 m ha.
• Irrigation potential created is also not fully utilized. Only 69% of created
potential is utilized in CG. (In India: 89%.)
• Irrigation projects managed by WRD: Major (3); Medium (26); Minor (2,892).
• Incomplete / Ongoing projects: Major (4); Medium (9); Minor (348).
• State budget for irrigation enhanced to Rs.246.47 Cr. (= 20% of total budget)
• On current enhanced budget trends, 39 more years to create full potential.
• Ground water is un-regulated in CG. WRD manages only surface water.
• No apex water authority in CG. 3 bodies manage water: WRD, PHE, LBs

• Around 150 urban ponds / lakes rejuvenated in CG since 2001.

STATE

• Fair rainfall, good water resources.

• Resource tapping poor in CG.
• Traditional water harvesting practices neglected
• Frequent droughts in recent times.
 �

PRESSURES
• Limited irrigation potential created.
• Irrigable land to cultivable land ratio unbalanced in districts.
Dhamtari: 131%; Dantwada 6%. Chhattisgarh: 24%
•
•
Low budget for maintenance of created irrigation facilities.
Over-dependence on paddy cultivation
 �

IMPACT

• Low irrigation potential created also not fully used

• Low agricultural production, compared to potential.
• Agriculture not uniformly spread in all districts.
• Agriculture production profile lop-sided in favor of paddy.

RESPONSE

• Budget for irrigation enhanced to 20% of State’s total budget.

• New irrigation projects launched.
• Around 150 urban lakes / ponds rejuvenated.
• Campaign launched to diversify crop-pattern.
State of Water In Chhattisgarh: Shortage Amidst Plenty

7.1 Chhattisgarh is often described as a rich State inhabited by poor

people. This paradox is most pronounced, perhaps, in respect of

water. The State is part of four major river systems. A large

portion of it is the Mahanadi-Godawari basin. It is watered by

several perennial rivers, and many more seasonal streams.

Important rivers include Mahanadi, Indrawati, Sheonath, Rinand,

Hasdeo, Mand, Ibb, Pairi, Sabari and Arpa. Yet frequent droughts

plague the State. The web-document of the State states: “Although

nature has been relatively kind to Chhattisgarh in terms of the

average rainfall as compared to several other States of the Union,

neglect of the traditional water conservation practices in recent

times has led to visitations by drought year after year….

 The irrigated area in the State is only 16% of the total cultivable

area, while potential exists to raise the irrigated area to 75%.”

7.2 The State commissioned an Action Plan for Infrastructure

Development. The plan was prepared by
PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC). This Chapter hereafter draws
heavily from the final report of PWC on the State of Water in

Chhattisgarh1. For the purpose of form, the contents of the report

have been freely subsumed into the pattern of this chapter,

without separate acknowledgement every time.

7.3 As the report says, the importance of water as a catalyst for the
development of a region or a State cannot be understated. This is
particularly true for Chhattisgarh, where almost 80% of the
population is dependent on agriculture and allied activities for
livelihood. The agriculture sector contributes around 38% to the

State’s Net Domestic Product.2 Besides irrigation, the other key

uses of water in the State include:

• Drinking or domestic purpose
• Industry
• Power plants
7.3 As shown in Table 7.1, the State seems to have sufficient water

resources and a large untapped potential. Utilizable surface water

potential in the State, if properly harnessed, can irrigate an

estimated 4.3 m ha area, against the existing irrigation potential

of 1.38 m ha.

Table 7.1: Potential & Utilization of Water In

Chhattisgarh
Surface Water In Million Cu. Mtr
Est. Utilizable Potential 41,720 MCM
Potential Irrigable Area 4.30 m ha
Actual Irrigated Area 1.34 m ha
 Ground Water
Net Utilizable Potential 11,960 MCM
Actual Potential Utilized NA
Source: WRD-GoCG

1
Infrastructure Development Action Plan for Chhattisgarh – Final Report,
Position Paper – Water Resources II
2
Rs. 8400.18 Crores out of Rs. 21,910.74 Crores in 1999-00.
7.4 The apparent abundance of water resources needs to be

efficiently and effectively planned to develop and utilize these

resources for the overall benefit of the State. The need for

efficiency and effectiveness in the management of water

resources can be gauged from the following:

Table 7.2: Potential & Utilization Pattern In Chhattisgarh

& India
Potential Utilization in
Type Potenti % Chhattisgarh
o al Potential
f Created Utilized India
[Lac
Irrigation
ha] [Lac ha]

Major3 5.94 4.53 76% 87%

Medium 2.68 2.44 91% 87%
Minor 4.97 2.35 47% 89%
Total 13.59 9.32 69% 89%

• In the irrigation sector, utilization of irrigation potential is

significantly lower than the national figure. For example, as
shown in the Table 7.2, percentage utilization of created

potential for minor schemes and cumulative for the State

compares unfavorably with corresponding figures for the

country.

• Besides low utilization of created potential, the average yield

of key crops in Chhattisgarh is much lower than national
average and some international benchmarks. Table 7.3,
presents this picture clearly.

Table 7.3: Crop Yield In Chhattisgarh, India, China & Egypt

[Kg/ha]
C rop
 Padd
Chhattisga India China Egypt
y
rh
Un- Irrigated
Jowa
r irrigated
1050 2090 5807 7659
Maiz
1005 1080 1320
e NA NA
1138 1580 1980 NA NA
1485

3
Major = Culturable Command Area (CCA) > 10,000 ha. Medium = CCA
2,000-10,000. Minor = CCA < 2,000
 Wheat 924 1830 3180 3295 5255
Source: Commissioner of Land Records, MP; GoI (1993); CMIE (1996)

7.5 The Government of Chhattisgarh is ceased of the gravity of the

situation. It has earmarked Rs.246.47 crores (= 20% of its plan

budget) for development of water resources.

7.6 Chhattisgarh is served by four river basins: Ganga, Mahanadi,

Godawari and Narmada. The areas served by each of these is as
shown in Table 7.4.

7.7 Currently there are 3 major, 26 medium and 2,892 minor

irrigation projects in the State that are managed by the Water

Resources Department. Besides these, there are a number of

tanks, ponds etc that are managed by the Panchayats.

Table 7.4: Spread Of River Basins In Chhattisgarh

Basin Area Served (Sq. Area as % of total

Km)
Geographical
Area of

Ganga Chhattisgarh
18,600 14%
Mahanadi
74,997 56%
Godawari
39,553 29%
Narmada
1,950 1%
Total
1,35,100 100%

7.8 Surface water harnessed by irrigation projects is primarily used

for irrigation, but other (dinking / industrial) uses are also

involved. The use of water from the Mahanadi Project illustrates

this point. See Table 7.5.

Table 7.5: Mahanadi Project Water: Pattern Of Use

Use Qty in Use as

TMC %
Irrigation
14.64 75%
Bhilai Steel Plant
3.60 18%
 Drinking Water 6%
Supply 1.28
100%
Total 19.52
Source: CE, Mahanadi Project, Raipur

7.9 The State has a number of incomplete/on-going projects. These

include 4 major, 9 medium and 348 minor irrigation projects.

These projects involve a total investment of Rs.2,619.39 crores, of

which Rs.1,4,34.91 crores had been spent till March 2001. When

completed, these projects will add irrigable land 7.13 lac ha area.

7.10 Ground water is an unregulated area in Chhattisgarh. Unlike

Surface Water, Ground water development and use is covered

under any Act. The land-owner reserves the right to harness

ground water beneath his land. The Water Resources Department

of the State is responsible only for the surface water. Chhattisgarh

is comfortably placed with regard to ground water (GW). Table

7.6 below indicates this.

Table 7.6: Ground Water Position In Different Districts of

Chhattisgarh

District GW available for Level of GW

use [MCM / development %
Bastar, Kanker, Dantewada Yr]
1.06
Bilaspur, Korba, 1366.70
9.62
Champa-Janjgir 1647.80
12.97
Durg 682.00
4.97
Raigarh, Jashpur 849.20
6.43
Raipur, Dhamtari, 1955.20
Mahasamund 3.40
876.00
Rajnandgaon, Kawardha 17.29
812.30
Surguja, Korea
8189.20
Total
 Source: Central Ground Water Board North-Central Region (1995)

7.11 The spread of irrigation potential created in various districts is

not uniform vis-à-vis the cultivable land available in the district.

Dhamtari district is way ahead of others, with potential facility

(131.27%) far exceeding the cultivable area. On the other extreme

are Dantewada, Korba and Jashpur districts where the potential

facility created is just above 6% of the cultivable land available.

 Table 7.7: District-wise Spread Of Irrigation Facilities

District Cultivable Potential Potential created

Land [Lac created as % of

ha] [Lac
cultivable land
Raipur ha]
20.25
Mahasamun 7.06 1.43
21.25
d 2.87 0.61
131.27
Dhamtari 2.11 2.77
23.68
Durg 7.94 1.88
17.70
Rajnandgaon 4.69 0.83
14.47
Kabirdham 2.28 0.33
61.11
Bastar 0.36 0.22
15.02
Kanker 2.33 0.35
6.23
Dantewada 3.05 0.19
23.37
Bilaspur 5.05 1.18
72.79
Janjgir-Cham 3.05 2.22
pa 6.85
1.46 0.10
Korba 9.32
5.58 0.52
Surguja 15.2
1.25 0.19
Korea 13.03
2.84 0.37
Raigarh 6.25
2.88 0.18
Jashpur
Total 54.8 13.37 24.29
Source: WRD-GoCG

Water Management Mechanisms

7.12 Water is managed in the State by three different departments:

Water Resources Department, Public Health Engineering, and the

Local Self-governance Bodies.

7.13 Water Resources Department (formerly known as Irrigation

Department) manages only a part of the surface water. It does not

deal in ground water. The primary task of the department is to

harvest water for enabling irrigated

 agriculture. However, in rare instances it also supplies water for
industrial use (E.g., to Bhilai Steel Plant) and for municipal water
supply.

7.14 The Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) is involved

mainly in sinking bore-wells for the urban and rural local bodies.
In some cases it is also involved in the function of domestic water
supply.

7.15 Subsequent to the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments,

water management is part of local self-governance. Responsibility

for managing locally available water (surface and ground) is that
of the local body. In urban areas it is the Municipal Corporation
/Council. In rural areas it is the local Panchayat Raj Institution
(PRI) that has to manage its water resources. This pattern is
practiced in Chhattisgarh.

7.16 Under a Scheme of the Department of Urban Development,

around 150 urban lakes and ponds in the State have been

developed in the last 2 years. The development work included

cleaning, deepening, reclamation of dry-lake area, and bunding.

Catchment area has also been developed in certain cases. This has

been done after a span of over 50-100 years in many cases. This

has perceptibly changed the profile of the lakes. It is also bound to

have a positive impact on ground water table in these towns.

Key Issues Relating to Management of Water Resources In

Chhattisgarh

7.17 The key issues confronting the water resources sector in

Chhattisgarh have been classified and discussed in the

PriceWaterhouse Coopers study under three broad categories:

• Resource Utilization
 • Institutional
• Financial
Resource Utilization
7.18 Absence of an Apex Water Authority & State-Wide Water

Resources Plan – Water resources available to a region through

various sources (such as rainfall, net surface run-off,

rivers/streams, groundwater acquifers, etc.) are hydrologically

linked, and are subject to competing demands by various

 sectors or user categories (such as for drinking purposes,

irrigation, industrial use, etc.). Chhattisgarh has large untapped

surface water and groundwater resources. It is therefore prudent

to map these existing resources and develop long-term plans

based on demand-supply projections. Such a State-wide water

resources plan does not currently exist. The plan is developed

through detailed technical studies and forms a basis for efficient

and effective planning, development and monitoring of water

resources. As a first step in this direction, it would be necessary to

appoint an Apex Water Authority that should broadly guide and

co-ordinate the work of various field agencies involved in water

management viz., WRD, PHE and ULBs.

7.19 Low Utilisation Of Developed Water Resources – As observed

earlier, though the State has an irrigation potential of 13.37 lakh

ha, the year-on-year actual utilsation of the designed potential is a

poor 69% (see Table 7.2). Actual utilisation (i.e. area irrigated) is

least for minor projects. Though natural phenomena such as low

rainfall could be one of the reasons for such low utilisation, in

most cases the key reasons usually are poor maintenance of the

canal system and inequitable distribution between head and tail

farmers. The Paralkot Dam in Pakhanjore (Kanker district) is a

case in point.

Table 7.8 : Index of Creation of Irrigation Potential

7.20 Inequitable development of resources – The State has an

imbalanced development of surface water resources. The

Pricewaterhouse report arrives at

 this conclusion after examining a factor called ‘Index of Creation

of Irrigation Potential.’ The calculation of the Index assumes that

irrigation potential in a district is in the same proportion as the

cultivable area of a district. As can be seen the focus of

development of irrigation potential has been concentrated in few

districts such as Dhamtari, Janjgir and Bastar (though Bastar has

amongst the lowest utilisation); and least in districts such as

Dantewada, Jashpur and Korba.

7.21 Low coverage for urban water supply – Though the State is

purported to have sufficient water resources, the situation of

urban water supply needs to be improved. The district-wise status

of towns that have organised water supply in Chhattisgarh is set

out in Table 7.9.

Table 7.9: Situation Of Urban Water Supply In Chhattisgarh4

7.22 As can be observed, 42 towns have an organized water supply.

Most of the water supply network in urban areas is quite old and

in need of urgent repair. It is estimated that Unaccounted For

Water (UFW) could be as high as 50% in many areas.

7.23 Low funds for O&M – Though no detailed studies have been

carried out to determine actual O&M requirements for schemes

within the State, the budgetary allocations for O&M seem to be on

the lower side. Total budgetary

4
This table is old. There are more towns in Chhattisgarh now. Data is being updated.
 allocations for O&M works out to about 373 Rs./ha5 of which

establishment charges constitute a hefty 54%. This would leave

only 172 Rs./ha for actual O&M. These allocations are significantly
lower than O&M estimations (Rs. 538 Rs./ha in today’s costs) made
by Vaidhyanathan Committee in 1992 for sustainable
maintenance of irrigation systems. It may be noted that on the
basis of an exhaustive study conducted in Rajasthan, O&M
expenses worked out to 533 Rs./ha for the year 1999-2000. Low
O&M budgets lead to deterioration of the system and results in
low utilization vis-à-vis designed irrigation potential. Unmet
maintenance requirements over a period of time also result in
high rehabilitation costs to bring the system back to design
potential.

Institutional Framework
The key issues under this category are:
7.24 Limited Skill Sets – The law in force envisages an active

participation of farmers in the management of irrigation systems.

It also entrusts a lot of responsibility of O&M to the respective

WUAs. Since the traditional role of WRD did not involve

significant user interface, the changed scenario would place a lot

of additional demands on the skills of WRD staff, particularly at

the field level (i.e. Executive Engineer and below). Such skills

would hence need to be developed in WRD cadre In breaking

away of the WRD department from undivided MP, the technical

functions such as those related to survey, investigation and

design, environment planning, etc. for large schemes have

continued to reside primarily at Bhopal in MP. However, skill sets

for such functions would be required in Chhattisgarh to

 undertake development of further irrigation potential and other

surface water schemes Similarly, in case of urban water supply

since some cities (viz. Raipur, Bilaspur, Raigarh, etc.) are expected

to grow at a higher rate than in the past, it would be essential to

review the available skill sets of municipal corporations and

municipalities to assess their readiness to cope with the increased

demand for water and associated services through innovative

means such as private sector

5
Source: ibid
 participation, raising of financial resources through municipal
bonds, designing water supply projects, etc.
7.25 Absence of a high level body – Chhattisgarh shares its river

basins with many States, and within the State itself water

resources are subjected to competing demands of different

sectors. In order to take speedy policy level and in-principal

decisions pertaining to inter-sectoral allocations and sharing with

other States, it is preferable to have a high level body comprising

ministers and/or secretaries of key departments (viz. WRD,

Agriculture, PHED, Urban Development, Industries, etc.) to

represent various stakeholders. Such a high level decision making

body is currently absent in the State. In order to facilitate

informed decision making based on the analysis of actual data,

creation of a special technical cell (within WRD, if so desired) may

also be explored. This cell should have skill sets pertaining to

engineering, hydrology, hydrogeology, geology, environment

engineering, sociology and economy.

7.26 Absence of an independent regulatory body – WRD in its

current form carries out the dual role of an operator as well as a

regulator, i.e. WRD supplies water through its schemes, and

decides the tariff it would charge to various categories of users.

Being a Government department it is also prone to various

pressures while fixing its tariff levels and enforcing revenue

recovery. As a step towards ensuring self-sustenance and addition

in capacities through private sector participation, an independent

regulatory body may be required to be created to ensure viability

of the sector while keeping consumer interests in mind.

7.27 Ground Water Regulation – As in most of the states in India,

groundwater is an unregulated resource in Chhattisgarh.

 However, many States have realised the need to regulate this

resource in order to prevent its over-exploitation. States like

Rajasthan and Delhi have also introduced bills for regulating this

resource. In order to take a long term view of sustainable

development of water resources in the State, Chhattisgarh would

also need to take a decision on regulating this resource.

7.28 Need for strengthening of internal systems – Internal systems

and controls in RD and local bodies are attuned towards

government system of accounting (i.e. they follow a cash based

PWD accounting system focussed on tracking

 expenditure against budgetary allocations) rather than a

commercial accounting system (i.e. double entry accrual based

accounting that is focussed on matching revenues and

expenditures). Such an accounting system impedes commercial

orientation of the department/bodies. Similarly, lack of

computerization and of an effective management Information

System (MIS) needs to be addressed for efficient management of

the department/bodies.

7.29 Need for strengthening coordination amongst various

departments – In case of supply of water for irrigation purposes,

since the ultimate objective is to improve crop productivity or

yield per ha, it is imperative that the concerned departments i.e.

WRD and the agriculture department work in close co-ordination

at the field level. Such co-ordination is essential as the use of high

yield variety seeds, time of cropping, time of watering, use of

fertilisers/soil nutrients, etc. are critical for obtaining good yields.

There is therefore a need to strengthen effective co-ordination

amongst the departments.

Financial
The key issues under this category are:
7.30 Limited capacity of the government to fund development. The

State has a number of on-going schemes. On the basis of cost

estimates of these on-going schemes and their design irrigation

potential, the average cost of a surface water scheme works out to

36,088 Rs./ha of irrigation potential. When these surface water

schemes are completed, the State is expected to have an irrigation

potential of 16.25 lakh ha. As per quick estimates (Table 7.10), the
State would require a hefty investment of about Rs. 9,651 crores

to fully develop the estimated 43 lakh ha of its irrigation potential.

Table 7.10: Future Fund Estimation For Irrigation

Development
 Source: PriceWaterHouseCoopers analysis

7.31 Assuming a continuation of current level of budgetary allocations (in

today’s

terms), it would take almost 39 years to develop this potential.