Even as the IMD has predicted an above-normal monsoon this year, little of the precipitation is likely to be saved for future
Jose K Joseph
post news network
Bhubaneswar, June 30: About 80 per cent of the rainwater that the state receives each monsoon goes unutilised. That is, it flows back into the sea without recharging groundwater or natural and man-made water bodies.
Despite being troubled by extreme drought, though, precious little has been done to conserve rainwater the state receives each year. India Meteorological Department has forecast surplus rainfall this year, but little of the water received is likely to be conserved.
It appears the lack of coordination between departments is hampering efforts to prepare for managing the monsoon effectively.
Orissa is an agrarian state. About 60 per cent of farmland here is rainfed; agriculture contributes to about 30 per cent of the state’s Gross Domestic Product and it engages about 60 per cent of the workforce here.
Experts say the recent rise in farmer suicides could have been prevented had sound water conservation measures been in place. However, Orissa POST’s interactions with top officials of departments including forests and environment, water resources, and agriculture indicate that little has been done to save rainwater.
Ranjan K Panda, known as ‘Water Man of Orissa’, believes the lack of coordination between departments is a key impediment water conservation measures are faced with. “Monsoon preparatory meetings turn out to be meetings for disaster preparedness and disaster management. Many departments claim they have taken up many projects. But there is a need for more rainwater harvesting projects,” Ranjan added.
Soumya Ranjan Mohanty, the project manager of DKM consultancy, a rainwater harvesting firm based in Bhubaneswar, said the demand for rainwater harvesting units is on the rise. He was quick to add, though, that the majority of people in the state were still unaware that the government was providing subsidies on such projects.
“Since we started in 2013, we have installed about 30 rainwater harvesting projects in the state,” Soumya Ranjan said. According to him, about half these systems were installed recently indicating a rise in interest.
Significantly, storage in lakes, reservoirs and ponds, which play a key role in conservation of rainwater, is dipping due to siltation and growth of weeds. “Ponds, rivers and lakes have to be desilted and freed of weeds to prevent wastage of rainwater,” Ranjan said. Experts are also of the opinion that the state needs to utilise water from rivers to better meet needs of irrigation.
“Drought threatens agriculture in places that depend on irrigation, too. This has happened as reservoirs have dried up. About 80 per cent of water from our rivers drain into the sea unutilised. Much of this water could be harvested and utilised in the lean period. Farmers must be encouraged to harvest rainwater and to protect water bodies,” Sundara Narayan Patro, an environmentalist, said.
One other threat that faces water resources of the state is pollution. Several industries in Angul, Talcher, Dhenkanal, Sukinda, Joda-Barbil,Kalinganagar, Jajpur, Jharsuguda, Paradeep, Damonjodi and Rayagada are discharging pollutants into rivers.
In Sukinda, although individual projects have installed effluent treatment plants to reduce discharge of hexavalent chromium, waters of the Damasala river which flows through the area has high concentration of the pollutant which is harmful to human beings and other life forms.
Recently, the Orissa State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) directed (by official order :No-10179), its 12 regional officers to provide information on manpower engaged in operation, maintenance and management of effluent treatment plants (ETPs) in the industries located within their jurisdiction. Experts suggest that such inspection should be made regular.
They believe there is great potential to utilise water that is filling up in abandoned mines of the state. They also want rainwater harvesting structures to be made mandatory for industrial projects in the state.
“Like solar projects, industries should also start rainwater harvesting units. Flats and residential buildings should also have rainwater harvesting or ground water recharging units,” Patro said.
One other problem is that residential complexes are concretising entire premises, which prevents percolation of rainwater into the soil. Water conservationists suggest that the government should enact rules to restrict concretisation of the area of premises to 40 per cent of the floor area.
Suggestions to prevent wastage of rainwater
n Government departments should work in tandem to conserve rainwater
n Rainwater harvesting should be encouraged and made mandatory in industrial areas and newly constructed residential buildings
n Natural water bodies such as ponds, lakes and rivers should be desilted and maintained
n Pollution checks should be carried out regularly at industries close to water bodies to prevent pollution from their discharge
n Abandoned mines should be made part of rainwater harvesting measures
n Concretising floor area around apartment complexes should be restricted to 40 per cent
n Constructions such as dams should not prevent flow of rivers. The Union Ministry of Water Resources has observed that structures that do not maintain ecological flow have caused fragmentation of rivers. Flowing rivers can recharge water table.
