Question : AVAILABILITY OF WATER THROUGH RIVER BASINS



(a) whether the Government have made any assessment in regard to the availability of additional water during monsoon through river basins in the country; and

(b) if so, the capacity of water reservoirs constructed on the rivers of each basin for storage of water and the quantum of water that goes wastage in each basin?

Answer given by the minister


THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES (SMT. BIJOYA CHAKRAVARTY)

(a) & (b) India receives an average annual precipitation of 4000 Billion Cubic Metre (BCM) which also includes snow- melt. Out of this, 3000 BCM occurs during monsoon. As per the assessment of the Central Water Commission (CWC) in 1993, the average annual flow in the river-systems of the country is assessed at 1869 BCM, out of this 1122 BCM is utilizable comprising of about 690 BCM as surface water and 432 as replenishable ground water. In addition, about 200 to 250 BCM can be utilized through inter-basin water transfer from the surplus river basins to the deficit river basins. Upto 1995, a live storage capacity of 177 BCM has been created by construction of large dams in the country. Besides, projects to add an additional storage capacity of about 75 BCM are under construction and for 132 BCM are under planning. In addition, water has also been diverted into canals by constructing barrages / weirs etc. for utilization of river waters for various purposes. The utilization through surface and ground water in 1997 has been reported as 605 BCM. The average annual availability of water and the live storage capacity of reservoirs in major river basins in the country is given at Annex.


ANNEX

Annex to answer to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 209 to be answered on 23.07.2001
BASINWISE STORAGE IN INDIA (in billion cubic metre)

Sl.No Name of the River Live Storage Capacity
. Basin Average Aver Aver
Annual age age
Flow Annu Annu
al al
Flow Flow
Comple Project Total Project
ted s under s under
Projec Constru Conside
ts ction ration
1 Indus(Up to 73.30 73.3 73.3 13.83 2.45 16.29 0.27 Border) 0 0 2 a) Ganga 525.02 525. 525. 36.84 17.12 53.96 29.56 02 02 b) Brahamputra & 585.60 585. 585. 1.09 2.40 3.49 63.35 Barak 60 60 3 Godavari 110.54 110. 110. 19.51 10.65 30.16 8.28 54 54 4 Krishna 78.12 78.1 78.1 34.48 7.78 42.25 0.13 2 2 5 Cauvery 21.36 21.3 21.3 7.43 0.39 7.82 0.34 6 6 6 Pennar 6.32 6.32 6.32 0.38 2.13 2.51 7 East flowing 22.52 22.5 22.5 1.63 1.45 3.08 0.86 rivers between 2 2 Mahanadi to Godavari & Krishna to Pennar 8 East flowing 16.46 16.4 16.4 1.42 0.02 1.44 rivers between 6 6 Pennar & Kanyakumari 9 Mahanadi 66.88 66.8 66.8 8.49 5.39 13.88 10.96 8 8 10 Brahamani & 28.48 28.4 28.4 4.76 0.24 5.00 8.72 Baitarni 8 8 11 Subernarekha 12.37 12.3 12.3 0.66 1.65 2.31 1.59 7 7 12 Subarmati 3.81 3.81 3.81 1.35 0.12 1.47 0.09 13 Mahi 11.02 11.0 11.0 4.75 0.36 5.11 0.02 2 2 14 West flowing 15.10 15.1 15.1 4.31 0.58 4.89 3.15 rivers of Kutch, 0 0 Saurashtra including Luni 15 Narmada 45.64 45.6 45.6 6.60 16.72 23.32 0.47 4 4 16 Tapi 14.88 14.8 14.8 8.53 1.01 9.54 1.99 8 8 17 West flowing 87.41 87.4 87.4 7.10 2.66 9.76 0.84 rivers from Tapi 1 1 to Tadri 18 West flowing 113.53 113. 113. 10.24 2.31 12.55 1.70 rivers from Tadri 53 53 to Kanyakumari 19 Area of inland Neg. 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 drainage in Rajasthan 20 Minor river basins 31.00 31.0 31.0 0.31 0.00 0.31 0.00 draining into 0 0 Bangladesh & Myanmar
TOTAL 1869.35 1869 1869 173.73 75.42 249.1 132.32 .35 .35 5 Note: 1 Projects having a live storage capacity of 10 million cubic metre and above only are included. 2 An additional live storage capacity of 3 billion cubic metre(approx.) is estimated to be created through Medium Projects each having a capacity of less than 10 million cubic metre thus making a total live storage capacity of 177 billion cubic metre in completed projects. 3 Totals may not tally due to rounding off.