SITUATION
IN THE BAITARANI RIVER BASIN
The Baitarani is one of
six major rivers of Orissa, which lends
its coastal plain the name of "Hexadeltaic
region" or the "Gift of Six Rivers.
Though, the Baitarani basin has been assessed
as a surplus basin in terms of food and
water, there is higher incidence of poverty
and inequity among largely tribal habitants
practicing shifting cultivation in its upper
catchments and a greater vulnerability to
flood and natural calamities in its lower
deltas. With growing industrialization threats
of pollution and displacement also looms
large over the inhabitants and offer challenges
for future management water quality and
quantity. The developmental efforts in this
region have also been sub-optimal probably
due to lack of political capital of the
region and a weaker governance system. There
has been dearth of integrated development
projects in the basin area in spite of higher
level of poverty and natural resources degradation.
About one fourth of the
cultivated area in the basin is irrigated.
Presently 61,920 ha area gets irrigation
in the basin (32,700 ha in kharif and 1,640
ha in rabi from Major projects of the Baitarani
system). Contribution of ground water to
irrigation is about half. There is considerable
scope for exploitation of water resources
in the basin given the amount of water available
and the lower irrigation percentage of the
districts. More than four fifth of irrigation
water is being used for grain crops and
area under rabi irrigation is also very
less. Considering the water availability,
ground water situation and status of agriculture
ample scope is there to improve the food
production and income from agriculture.
However, for optimal, equitable and strategic
utilization, basin level planning is highly
essential.
Flood is a regular phenomenon
in the Baitarani basin and its inhabitants
live with constant fears of loss to life
and property. There have been 86 floods
in hundred year’s between1868 and
1967. Even a two-day rain in July this year
made it overflowed its banks affecting 140,000
people in 220 villages of Jajpur and Bhadrak
districts. There are also at least two other
cases embankment breaching and marooning
in this year inflicting massive loss to
life and property . Apart from the long
pending construction of dam at Bhimkund
and proposed other measures like river bed
excavation and construction of embankments
etc. in the deltaic region, there remain
an unaddressed needs of addressing the land
use issues in the upstream, on which, till
date, no serious thoughts or efforts have
yet been directed.
Upper and middle catchments
of the basin hold rich mineral reserves
of iron, manganese and chrome and thus mining
and industrialization are expanding at a
faster pace with states in India competing
to attract foreign direct investments. Such
plentiful natural (mineral, forest and agriculture)
resources and availability of cheap labour
makes this basin an ideal play ground for
industrial units. Increased mining and industrial
activities have already contributed significantly
towards deterioration in the water quality.
Community waste from domestic sector is
now about four times the industrial effluent.
All these waste are discharged untreated
into the water course causing pollution
in the whole system. In the front of water
quantity, the present withdrawal from the
basin (Brahmani and Baitarani put together)
in about 8.8 Km3 with agriculture accounting
for 91%, domestic 6% and industrial uses
3%. Present withdrawal per capita (475 cum)
is also less than that of all basins (633
cum).
Higher runoff due to lack
of storage in upper catchments is leading
to peak flows resulting in flood related
vulnerabilities and increased silt load
during monsoon. Silting up of channel bed
and reducing lean season flow has also started
affecting the environmental flow in the
river with consequent impacts on wetlands,
fisheries and agriculture in the deltas.
Increasing industrial effluents, mine and
domestic wastes along with non-point source
pollutants in form of agricultural chemicals
are threatening to make water quality a
major future issue as with dwindling flow,
the concentration of pollutants are going
to increase with a multiplier effect.
While such problems of
water quality and quantity are looming large
and the basin livelihoods and ecosystem
are under threat, the stakeholders, particularly
the rural communities and democratic decision
making bodies are hardly aware about the
issue, leave aside any plan as the unit
of planning continues to be along administrative
or political boundaries. There is no mechanism
available at present to holistically assess
and analyze the basin resources along natural
boundaries and connect the communities and
decision makers segregated along artificial
boundaries. In absence of a perspective
basin water and natural resource management
plan, competing and conflicting uses (or
abuses) of water and other connected natural
resources are going on deteriorating the
situation and with each day the crisis slipping
steadily out of the grip. The situation
demands urgent attention as it involves
livelihood of 3.83 million
people staying in 13,481.82
sq km of area.
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RATIONALE
OF BASIN LEVEL APPROACH
Natural,
Basic Hydrological Unit and Beyond
River basins form the basic hydrological
units for water resources planning and management.
An overall plan for a river basin can more
effectively meet the ever-increasing demand
on the available water resources for varied
uses. Planned and integrated management
of a basin improve water and land resources
management for food, livelihoods security
and ecosystem sustainability. Basin management
approach also offers scope to go beyond
geo-hydrological unit, to accommodate and
assimilate social, economic, cultural and
political systems and processes existing
and evolving inside the basin to arrive
at sustainable livelihood and landscape
transformation outcomes. In this process,
basin management interfaces and integrates
people, policies, technologies and management
systems to meet needs of local and national
development.
Link between ‘field’
and ‘national/global’
Basin level works are the intermediaries
between ‘field’ or ‘farm’
level actions and ‘national’
or ‘global’ level processes.
Therefore, this option provides space to
link the local with global and keeps potential
to meet the often conflicting needs of both.
Indian
National Water Policy
As per National Water Policy, 2002, water
resources available to the country should
be brought within the category of utilizable
resources to the maximum possible extent
(Paragraph 3.1). It reiterates that water
resources development and management will
have to be planned for a hydrological unit
such as drainage basin as a whole or for
a sub-basin, multi-sectorally, taking into
account surface and ground water for sustainable
use incorporating quantity and quality aspects
as well as environmental considerations.
It adds that all individual developmental
projects and proposals should be formulated
and considered within the framework of such
an overall plan keeping in view the existing
agreements / awards for a basin or a sub-basin
so that the best possible combination of
options can be selected and sustained (paragraph
3.3). While dwelling upon institutional
mechanisms, Water Policy emphasizes establishment
of appropriate river basin organizations
for the planned development and management
of a river basin as a whole or sub-basins,
wherever necessary. It also calls for setting
up of special multidisciplinary units to
prepare comprehensive plans taking into
account not only the needs of irrigation
but also harmonizing various other water
uses, so that the available water resources
are determined and put to optimum use having
regard to existing agreements or awards
of Tribunals under the relevant laws (paragraph
4.2). National Policy further makes it clear
that the context of physical features and
constraints of the hilly basin such as steep
slopes, rapid run-off and the incidence
of soil erosion are to be taken into account
while planning to provide assured drinking
water, possibilities of hydro-power development
and the proper approach to irrigation in
such areas. The economic evaluation of projects
in such areas should also take these factors
into account (paragraph 6.4). There should
also be a master plan for flood control
and management for flood prone basin (Paragraph
17.1) and Baitarani is a flood-prone river.
Orissa
State Water Policy
There is provision to carry out water resources
plan to assess the full water resources
development option for the whole State based
on the basin studies by Water Planning Organization
in keeping with the water policy of the
State. The Policy also proposes preparation
of multipurpose river basin plans to guide
decisions about future water development
and basin management. The specific objective
of this plan for multi-sectoral river basin
water development include assessment of
basin-water resources in light of its present
and future uses; management of basin-water
resources for maximum socio-economic benefits
and least environment degradation along
with prioritized meeting of the minimum
nutritional per capital requirement (NPR)
in the basin. The plan should also aim at
increasing agricultural productivity and
generate employment opportunity. Such basin
plans should also include, as per the policy,
provisions for examination of water quality
and environmental consequences of water
use with particular reference groundwater.
The treatment of hazardous components of
industrial wastes, sewage treatment, and
use of fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture
and optimization of the use of water by
recycling and effluent treatment of industrial
water also come under purview of basin plan
and these are to be taken care of through
necessary legislation and public awareness.
Water quality due to saline water intrusion
into the coastal aquifers, soil conservation,
afforestation measures to reduce solid loss
on the upper reaches of the river and reducing
the silting of the surface water impoundments
will be considered in the basin plan. The
flood control and drainage components shall
also be included in the basin plans in order
to identify the extent and intensity of
these problems along with the necessary
measures to mitigate their effects. These
plans will serve as the basis for the State
Water Plan. The Policy also prescribes the
inclusion of an environmental management
plan in respect of all likely adverse impacts
in the master plan of the river basin planning
of the State.
Orissa
State Agriculture Policy
State Policy prescribes reclamation of 0.3
million ha water- logged land, 0.4 m ha
of salinity infested land, 0.5 m ha shifting
cultivated area and 2.6 m ha facing soil
erosion. On the irrigation front, it recommends
coverage of 50% of cultivated area under
effective irrigation system. While major
and medium irrigation projects will cover
0.53 m ha, utilization of ground water,
minor irrigation projects and Water harvesting
structure will address irrigation needs
in 0.13 m ah, 0.3 m ha and 0.2 m ha respectively.
Policy makes it clear that only creation
of facility will not serve the purpose and
adequate attentions is needed in the direction
of maintenance and management of the system
preferably through people’s participation
(pani panchayat system). Further, policy
also calls for thrust on fisheries- both
culture and capture on rivers, reservoirs,
tanks and wetlands, thus creating alternate
options for water use, which may create
more demand and hence conflicting situations
for use of water among interest groups.
A basin level management option of natural
resources with democratic governance can
effectively address these land and water
development needs envisaged in the Agriculture
Policy.
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