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COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 1
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0
COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 2 COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 3
COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN WATER MANAGEMENT – 3.0
Publisher
NATIONAL INSTITUTION FOR TRANSFORMING INDIA (NITI) AAYOG, NEW DELHI
Research Team
Avinash Mishra, N.Kumaravel, Arunlal K, Snigdha Goel
Date of Publication: July 2023
Copyright © NITI Aayog (2023)
Year of Publishing: 2023
Disclaimer
This document is intended as a Compendium of Best Practices of Water Management
across the country. While every effort has been made to ensure the correctness of
data/information used in this Compendium, NITI Aayog does not accept any legal
liability for the accuracy or inferences drawn from the material contained therein or
for any consequences arising from the use of this material. All data/information in this
Compendium has been self-certified by the respective implementing agency of the
best practice. NITI Aayog does not claim copyright for any images produced in the
Compendium. No part of this report may be reproduced in any form (electronic or
mechanical) without prior permission from or intimation to NITI Aayog.
The full Compendium should be referenced as follows:
NITI Aayog (2023) “COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN WATER MANAGEMENT - 3.0, 2023”
Text from this Compendium can be quoted provided the source is acknowledged.
Contact
NITI Aayog
NITI Aayog Bhawan, Parliament Street, New Delhi - 110001
India, Website: www.niti.gov.in
Write to us: amishra-pc@gov.in COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 iii COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 iv
List of Abbreviations
• ACF Ambuja Cement Foundation
• ADB Asian Development Bank
• AMRUT Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation
• AKRSP Aga Khan Rural Support Program
• CRARV Control Rate Of Annual Runoff Volume
• DBI Diversion Based Irrigation Systems
• FFEWS Flood Forecasting and Early Warning System
• GIS Geographic Information System
• JSA Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan
• JSYS Jala Samvardhane Yojana Sangha
• KMC Kolkata Municipal Corporation
• LIFT Leaders Innovation Forum for Technology
• MNREGA Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee
Act
• MJSA Mukhyamantri Jal Swavlamban Abhiyan
• MRSAC Maharashtra Remote Sensing Application Centre
• NBS Nature Based Solutions
• NLBC Narayanpur Left Bank Canal
• NMC Nagpur Municipal Corporation
• NRW Non-Revenue Water
• O&M Operation and Maintenance
• PHED Public Health Engineering Department
• PRC Performance Reference Compound
• PPP Public-Private Partnership
• RO Reverse Osmosis
• RSSUT Residential Stormwater Smart grid Utility Technology
• TDS Total Dissolved Solids
• TMC Thousand Million Cubic feet
• TUC Tank Users Groups
• VSAT Very Small Aperture Terminal
• VWSC Village Water and Sanitation Committees
• WATCO Water Corporation of Odisha
• WRF Water Research Foundation COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 v
Table of Contents
Foreword ii
Preface iii
List of Abbreviations iv
POLICY-LED INTERVENTIONS 1
Jal Samvardhan Yojana (Karanataka) 3
Neeru-Chettu Program (Andhra Pradesh) 5
Sujalam Sufalam Jal Abhiyan (Gujarat) 7
Mukhyamantri Jal Swavlamban Abhiyan (Rajasthan) 9
DRINK FROM TAP MISSION (24x7 Water Supply) - Odhisa 11
Kapildhara Yojana (Madhya Pradesh) 13
Automation of Irrigation System: Narayanpur Left Bank Canal System system
(Karnataka) 15
Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan (Maharashtra) 17
WATERSHED DEVELOPMENT 19
Reversing Salinity in Saurashtra 21
Rejuvenation of Khadakwasla Dam for augmentation of water use 23
Diversion Based Irrigation System 25
Clean and safe drinking water in Odhisa 27
Neknampur Lake Restoration 29
SMART WATER INFRASTRUCTURE 31
Improving water services through smart metering in The Republic of Korea 33
Using Satellites For Better Irrigation 35
Sponge City Initiative: Sustainable Urban Water Management 37
Community-based Stormwater Smartgrids: Distributed AI/IoT Rain Harvesting
Networks for Flood and Drought Resilience 39
WASTEWATER TREATMENT AND REUSE 41
Growing tomatoes without soil using vertical farming in hydroponics 43
Waterless dyeing technology in textile processing 45
Reuse of treated water in Arequipa, Pe 47
Namakkal District of Tamil Nadu became Water Secured 49
Reuse of treated water in thermal power plant in Nagpur 51
Watershed development in Hyderabad to address water scarcity 53 COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 vi
CLIMATE RESILIENT WATER MANAGEMENT 55
Temporary flood water storage in agricultural areas in the Middle Tisza river basin 57
Sihlanzimvelo Stream Cleaning Project: 59
Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel (MAOUDC) 61
Flood Forecasting and Early Warning System in Kolkata 63
Key Learnings from Compendium 65 COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 1
POLICY-LED
INTERVENTIONS COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 2
Jala Samvardhane Yojana
- Govt. of Karanataka
Neeru-Chettu Program -
Govt. of Andhra Pradesh
Sujalam Sufalam Jal
Abhiyan – Govt. of Gujrat
Mukhyamantri Jal
Swavlamban Abhiyan –
Govt. of Rajasthan
Drink From Tap Mission In Puri
City (A Case Study Of 24x7 Water
Supply) - Govt. of Odhisa
Kapildhara Yojana- Govt.
of Madhya Pradesh
Automation of irrigation systems:
Left Bank Canal System - Govt. of
Karnataka
Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan -
Govt. of Maharashtra COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 3
Place of implementation: Tumakuru District,
Karnataka
Organization: Jala Samvardhane Yojana
Sangha (JSYS) a society registered under the
Societies Act of Karnataka.
Year of implementation: 2002
Background:
Tanks (kere) have been the symbol of water
harvesting tradition in Karnataka since time
immemorial. Tank systems have contributed
to the sustainability of ecology, environment
and rural livelihood since centuries. Realizing
the pivotal role played by the tank system in
supporting rural livelihood and ecology the
Government of Karnataka gave priority for
restoration of traditional tank systems through
community-based tank approach.
Objectives:
• Providing enabling environment for
sustainable and decentralized tank
management systems
• Reduce poverty by developing and
strengthening community-based
institutions to take up development and
management activities
• Rehabilitate tanks within the district
Intervention:
• Comprehensive tank development was
carried out with the participation of Tank
Users Groups (TUG).
• Activities involved improvements to tank
bund, waste weir, Feeder canal, repairs to
the sluice to plug the leakages of water
JAL SAMVARDHAN YOJANA
(KARANATAKA) COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 4
from the tank and desolation of tank bed to
restore its original capacity of the tank and to
improve groundwater level, etc
• In 1st phase (from 2002 to 2009) out of 357
tanks proposed, 340 tanks were taken for
implementation and in the 2nd phase, (from
2009 to 2012) out of 119 tanks proposed 114
tanks were taken. Out of 357 tanks, in 340
tanks rejuvenation works are completed and
are handed over to Tank User Groups for
further maintenance.
• Further, in the second phase out of 119
tanks in 114 tanks rejuvenation works were
completed and handed over to TUG for further
maintenance.
Outcome:
• About 60, 50,716 cum of desolation was done
in about 454 tanks in both 1st and 2nd phases,
helping in recharge of underground water in the
open wells and bore wells in the surrounding area.
• About 1,24,950 local indigenous plant species like
Honge, Neem, Bamboo, Tamarind, Neale, Karijali,
Jatropha, Accacia, etc planted in the foreshore of
tank bed
• 1,52,940 numbers of seedlings supplied to TUG
farmers for plantation in the catchments of tanks
resulting in minimizing erosion of soil on the
catchments and tank bed foreshore.
• Total of 454 tanks rejuvenated as per the 1st and
2nd phase programs.
1
For more information please contact: M Madan Gopal, Executive Director, Jal Samvardhan Yojana Sangha. Email: jsys@vsnl.net COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 5
NEERU-CHETTU PROGRAM
(ANDHRA PRADESH)
Place of Implementation: Andhra Pradesh
Organization: Government of Andhra
Pradesh
Year of Implementation: 2015
Background:
• Groundwater levels are depleted to a
depth of 1000 feet below ground level in
most of the areas.
• Lack of assured water supply for
irrigation, drinking, and industrial
purposes.
• Need for scientific management of water
resources to ensure more crops per drop
of water.
• Neeru-Chettu program was implemented
to improve water conservation and
management in the State with peoples’
participation to make the state
droughtproof.
Objective:
• Increase overall green cover in state
and ensure 33% forest cover against the
current 25%
• Maintain groundwater levels at a safe
zone (between 3-8 metres).
• Reduce the gap ayacut under Major,
Medium, and Minor irrigation projects by
providing assured water up to tail-end
areas
COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0
5 COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 6
Intervention:
• De-silting of minor irrigation tanks and
feeder channels.
• Repairs and renovation of existing
water harvesting structures.
• Construction of check dams,
percolation tanks, farm ponds.
• Arresting the soil erosion by following
the ridge to valley approach.
• Development of cascades i.e. chain
of tanks to divert water from surplus
basin to deficit basin using latest
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
and satellite technology.
• Encouraging micro irrigation on large
scale and mobile micro irrigation
practices in severe water scarce areas.
• Massive afforestation and soil moisture
conservation works and rising of
nurseries by the Forest Department.
• The silt generated during the de-silting
works was allowed to be transported by
the local farmers by deploying tractors
at their own cost for application of silt
to agricultural fields.
Outcomes:
• Improvement in ground water levels in
Rayalaseema region due to the works
taken up under Neeru–Chettu.
• A total of 126477 structure repaired.
• 86 Lift irrigation schemes revived.
• Block plantation in 3726 ha area, 13.92
lakh nurseries raised and 315 seedlings
distributed.
• Quantity of water increased by
desilting and taking up construction
and repairing structures is 10.38
Thousand Million Cubic feet (TMC).
• Impounding capacity of tanks
increased by 4.79 TMC
• Total ayacut stabilized by desilting and
repair works is 180791 acres.
2
https://irrigationap.cgg.gov.in/wrd/neeruchettu COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 7
SUJALAM SUFALAM JAL
ABHIYAN (GUJARAT)
Place of Implementation: Gujarat
Organization: Government of Gujarat
Year of Implementation: 2018
Background:
Gujarat has 6% of total geographical area of
India but 12.36% of water stressed area of
India. 58.6% of total area of Gujarat is subject
to water stress due to arid, semi-arid and
saline conditions. To address this challenge,
Government of Gujarat launched a water
conservation scheme Sujalam Sufalam Jal
Sanchay Abhiyan which aimed to enhance
the capacity of dams, ponds, canals, and
contour trenches by desilting and deepening
them.
Objectives:
• Deepen 13,000 reservoirs to increase
their capacity and store rainwater
before monsoon. Other objectives of the
scheme were:
• Strengthen irrigation facilities and
enhance agricultural productivity
• Revitalise about 32 rivers having length
of about 340 kilometres across 30
districts.
• Conduct cleaning drive for canals of
5,400 kilometres.
Intervention:
• Deeping of ponds, tanks, check dams
and reservoirs. COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 8
• Cleaning of rivers, drains canals, irrigation
structures and drinking water sources.
• Construction of check dams, new ponds,
Khet Talavadi, and Van Talav.
Outcomes:
• Around 13,000 ponds and check-dams
desilted and 32 rivers rejuvenated, creating
an additional capacity of 11,000 lakh cubic
feet to store water when the rain arrives.
• 6,170 lakes cleaned and deepened.
• 8,107 check-dams and 462 reservoirs
cleaned.
• 568 new lakes and 1,079 new check-dams
built.
• The water harvesting capacity of the state
of Gujarat increased by 42,064 lakh cubic
feet in three years (2018-2020)
• About 4000 excavator machines were
used to deepen the soil and districts.
• Soil excavated was given to the public free
of cost.
3
https://guj-nwrws.gujarat.gov.in/showpage.aspx?contentid=1473&lang=english “ COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 9
Place of implementation: Rajasthan
Organization: Government of Rajasthan
Year of Implementation: 2016
Background:
The annual rainfall in Rajasthan is 100 mm
in dry hot West to 900 mm in South East.
Generally, out of five years, 3 years are drought-
affected means untimely, uncertain & varied
distribution of rainfall. This leads to unstable
crop production. A large part of the rainfall
also goes waste due to the high intensity of
rainfall in small time. Proper utilization of runoff
does not take place due to the lack of Water
Harvesting Structures in the watershed area
results in a continuous decline in the water level
of the wells.
Objectives:
• Making the village self-sufficient in terms of
drinking water.
• Increase the level of groundwater table and
strengthen watershed.
• Increase the area under irrigation and
cultivation through water harvesting &
conservation.
• Enhance crop production and productivity.
• People’s participation in designing and
implementing projects.
Intervention:
• Mukhyamantri Jal Swavlamban Abhiyan
MUKHYAMANTRI JAL SWAVLAMBAN
ABHIYAN (RAJASTHAN) COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 10
(MJSA) works upon Four Waters Concept. It
revolves around the harvesting of available runoff
(rainwater, ground water, underground water & in
situ soil moisture) in rural areas by treatment of
catchment water, proper utilization of available
water harvesting structures, renovation of the
non-functional water harvesting structures &
creation of new water harvesting structures.
• It uses low-cost technology, to increase
groundwater recharge by four times and
offers thrice the benefit than other any other
conventional mode.
• MJSA also adopted the concept of Water
Budgeting in Gram Sabhas wherein after
determination water use in drinking, irrigation,
livestock & other commercial purposes is
determined to prepare a water budget.
Accordingly, works were identified and
approved for the preparation of action plan of
the mission.
Outcome:
• This scheme has resulted in an increase of 4%
in groundwater level that helped agriculture
and irrigation.
• Improved the problem of soil erosion and
fertility which resulted in more production.
• Supplied water to 4.1 million people and 4.5
million animals which decreased the death
due to water scarcity.
4 https://sarkariyojana.com/mukhyamantri-jal-swavlamban-abhiyan-mjsa-rajasthan COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 11
Place of implementation: Odisha
Organization: Govt. of Odisha
Year of Implementation: 2020
Background:
Drinking Water Supply in Urban Odisha had
been facing severe challenges since decades
and the water supply infrastructure could
not cope up with the pace of increasing
urbanization.
Water supply challenges like poor service
coverage, poor water quality, intermittent
supply and high-water losses needed to be
addressed and solve perennial water woes.
Objectives:
• Drink pure water straight from the Tap:
Conversion of intermittent water supply
systems to continuous (24x7) water
supply systems
• Equitable, sustainable and people-centric
service provision with focus on the urban
poor.
• Water Supply Management through
Community Partnership (Self Help
Groups) – “Jalsaathi”
• 100% coverage of households with piped
drinking water of good quality as per
recommended standards.
• 100% metering of house connections to
eliminate non-revenue water (NRW) due
to leakages and wastage for full cost
recovery.
Intervention:
• Adoption of innovative, state-of-the-art
technology & management techniques,
DRINK FROM TAP MISSION (24X7
WATER SUPPLY) - ( ODISHA) COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 12
both during construction and operation &
maintenance.w
• Quality Assurance through Third Party Quality
Monitoring & Public Private Partnership
(PPP) Laboratories.
• Government of Odisha implemented
enabling policy interventions: 1) Right to
water 2) Execution of connections by Public
health Engineering Department (PHED)
or Water Corporation of Odhisa (WATCO)
as public works 3) Household need not
bother to obtain road cutting permission for
connection 4) Easy instalment on connection
charges 5) Explicit component of community
participation now with 100% coverage.
• Relaxed house connection norms for the
poor which are as below: 1) Water connection
with indemnity bond 2) Waiver of connection
fee 3) Providing house connection with two
taps at Govt. cost under AMRUT for the
slums 4) Covering all uncovered slums under
Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban
Transformation (AMRUT) 5) Shift from hand
pump, tube wells to Piped Water Supply.
• Activities for reduction of NRW were taken
on a mission mode.
• Awlmost all house connection ferrules
replaced with saddle and compression
fittings.
• NRW equipments procured and continuous
training of staff for carrying out NRW
activities
Outcome:
• 100% household level coverage achieved.
• The consumers have water in their taps
round the clock directly coming from the
public distribution network.
• Absence of the need for personal storage of
water (sump).
• Lifting the water to roof level storage tanks
as well as need of installation of further
treatment/filtration systems at home such as
Reverse Osmosis (RO) is eliminated.
• 100% metering and volumetric billing have
helped to reduce the leakages and wastages
in water supplies.
• Quick resolution of issues and complaints of
the consumers enhanced the confidence of
the public/communities in WATCO.
• Jalsathis helped in transformation of field
situation with enhanced confidence of the
people in public water supply system.
• Each Jalsathi’s woman is earning between
Rs. 10,000/- to Rs. 12,000/- per month as
incentives.
• NRW rate was more than 50% which affected
the sustainability of 24x7 Water Supply was
reduced to 15%.
5
https://mohua.gov.in/pdf/624eb41e1f6e6Drink-from-Tap-Mission-A-case-study-of-24x7-Water-Supply-in-Puri-city.pdf” COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 13
Place of Implementation: Madhya Pradesh
Organization: Government of Madhya
Pradesh
Year of Implementation: 2008
Background:
The Kapildhara Yojana by the state of
Madhya Pradesh is a unique scheme under
the MGNREGA program to develop irrigation
facilities on private land of small and marginal
farmers, through the construction of dug
wells, farms ponds, check dams, etc.
Objectives:
• The program focuses on providing
financial support to landholders without
access to irrigation facilities and prioritizes
marginalized communities to maximize
impact.
• The program has contributed to improved
productivity, intensity, and diversity
of crop production in the region and
generated livelihood sources.
Interventions:
• Under Kapildhara Yojana of Mahatma
Gandhi National Rural Employment
Guarantee Act (MNREGA), the wells were
constructed to help them irrigate their
land.
• Scheme is implemented on the private
lands of beneficiaries, Nandan Falodyan
for horticulture development, Bhumishilp
KAPILDHARA YOJANA
(MADHYA PRADESH) COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 14
for land reform.
• Target of constructing 2.5 lakh Kapildhara
wells in the next five years was set to make
irrigation facilities available to the poor and
needy farmers.
Outcomes:
• More than 3 lakh 57 thousand and 522
Kapildhara wells have so far been constructed
on the unirrigated land of poor farmers.
• With this nearly 4 lakh 74 thousand- and
425-hectare unirrigated area has turned into
the irrigated area.
• Construction of Kapildhara wells made the
lands fertile and different kinds of food
grains, fruits, and vegetables were grown.
6
http://aiggpa.mp.gov.in/uploads/project/Kapil_Dhara_Yojana.pdf COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 15
Place of Implementation: Narayanpur Dam,
Karnataka
Organization: Government of Karnataka
Year of Implementation: 2014
Background:
• Narayanpur Dam is located on Krishna
River near Bachihal and Siddapur village
of Bijapur District of Karnataka state. This
reservoir caters to the irrigation needs of
a very vast area of about 4.5 lakh hectares.
• The reservoir supplies water to
Narayanpur Left Bank canal (NLBC) which
is the biggest and the main artery of canal
network about 77 Kms have designed to
discharge of 10,000 cusecs.
• Identified issues in the NLBC irrigation
system:
• Lack of proper water regulatory system
within the NLBC network.
• Inadequate manpower for canal operation
and maintenance.
• Fixed flow structure and manual control
of the gates resulted in wastage of
water, inaccuracies and uncertainties
in measurement and poor emergency
response within the canal network
system.
• Inequitable regulations between
upstream & tail end water users, hence,
tail end users have not been able to
AUTOMATION OF IRRIGATION
SYSTEM: NARAYANPUR LEFT BANK
CANAL SYSTEM (KARNATAKA) COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 16
receive water.
• The farmers were unable to access
information about water availability,
plan crops, and commodity prices.
• No Geographic Information Systems
(GIS) based information about
command area about soil health, crops,
water demand and allocation, weather,
contours etc.
Objective:
• To automate the Narayanpur left canal
system and increase water use efficiency.
Interventions:
• More than 4,000 automated control and
regulating gates were installed.
• Sophisticated software and
communication infrastructure to manage
the delivery of water to farmers, located
along approximately 1,500km of canals.
• Irrigation scheduled is made available on
farmer dashboard.
• Solar powered integrated gates were
installed having following components.
(a) accurate gate control system,
(b) accurate gate measurement system
(c) flow measurement device
(d) u/s and d/s water level measurement
system
(e) wireless communication system
(f) self-sufficient solar based power supply
system
(g) CCTV cameras.
• At Narayanpur, there is a master Very
Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT)
transmitter and receiver equipments
and it is connected to all Master Data
collection stations by VSAT. It gives bi-
directional communication within the
system.
Outcome:
• First time in the history of NLBC, water
delivered to the tail end users suffering
atchkut area.
• Increased and optimized the water use
efficiency with in the network and reduce
water loss.
• Single room control for canal operation.
• Efficient water distribution among the
farmers/stake holders in command area.
• Increased irrigated area and agriculture
production till tail end and command
Area.
• Online water demand, water billing &
revenue generation reduced cost of
paperwork and process improvement.
• Instantaneous decision-making system
and reduction and elimination of manmade
errors.
• Reduction in operational costs and
maintenance requirements.
7
https://pmksy-mowr.nic.in/aibp-mis/Manual/SCADA-Narayanapur%20Left%20bank%20Canal,%20Karnataka.pdf COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 17
Place of Implementation: Maharashtra
Organization: Government of Maharashtra
Year of Implementation: 2015-16
Background:
Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan (JSA) is a flagship
program of the Government of Maharashtra
launched to provide long-term and
sustainable solutions to the water scarcity
problem faced by rural communities. The
program involved geotagging of water
bodies and the use of a mobile application to
enable web-based monitoring.
Objective:
• The Maharashtra government launched
the Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyaan in 2015-16
with the mission to make Maharashtra
drought-free by 2019, and an aim of
making 5000 villages water scarcity free,
every year.
• Focus areas under the program include
deepening and widening of streams,
construction of cement and earthen stop
dams, work on nullahs, and digging of
farm ponds.
• Increase ground water level in drought
areas, and to create, to create new
structure of water conservations.
• Sanitize the concept of water budgeting
and arrest maximum runoff in the village
areas.
JALYUKT SHIVAR ABHIYAN
(MAHARASHTRA) COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 18
• Create awareness and encourage farmers
regarding efficient water use in farming.
Intervention:
• Planning-based integrated framework
to address both the drinking water and
irrigation water demands of communities.
• Building and repairing water harvesting
structures such as continuous contour
trench, cement Nala bund, earthen Nala
bund, loose boulder structures, farm ponds,
and agricultural interventions (horticulture
plots, terracing, etc.)
• Decentralized water bodies were installed at
various locations within villages to enhance
the groundwater recharge.
• Mobile application was developed by
Maharashtra Remote Sensing Application
Centre (MRSAC) for monitoring of the
scheme.
Outcome:
• 11,000 villages declared drought-free and
agricultural productivity has increased by
30-50%.
• Increase in water storage capacity.
• Recharge of ground water level by 1.5 - 2 m
8
http://mrsac.maharashtra.gov.in/jalyukt/ COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 19
WATERSHED
DEVELOPMENT COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 20
Reversing Salinity in
Saurashtra - Ambuja
Cement Foundation
Rejuvenation of Dam for
Augmentation of Water Use
- Green Thumb supported by
Bombay Engineering Group
Diversion Based Irrigation
System - Aga Khan Rural
Support Programme
Clean and Safe Drinking
Water- Govt. of Odhisa
Neknampur Lake
Restoration - Dhruvansh
organization COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 21
Place of Implementation: Kodinar, Saurashtra
Organization: Ambuja Cement Foundation
(ACF)
Year of Implementation: Since 1998
Background:
• Increasing pressure from economic activities
had caused considerable depletion of
groundwater. In particular, the introduction
of water pumps in the agricultural industry
resulted in a massive exploitation of
underground aquifers to extract water for
crops.
• Coupled with erratic and reduced rainfall,
the natural groundwater table decreased
and saline water from the sea seeped in
contaminating water and making it unfit for
consumption for irrigation.
• Advancing at an unprecedented rate of half
a km a year along the 1125 km long coastline
of Saurashtra, salinity exposed lakhs of
people to risk. The coastline reached 15
km in 1998 and consequently the Total
Dissolved Solids (TDS) were more than 400
mg/l. This situation was further aggravated
by recurring droughts in 1990’s in the area.
Objective: To prevent salinity ingress and
ensure sustainable water supply for drinking
and irrigation purposes through effective
water resource management interventions..
Intervention:
REVERSING SALINITY IN
SAURASHTRA COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 22
• ACF adopted a holistic approach to address
salinity from the supply side as well as
demand side.
• The model approach involved the following
initiatives to tackle salinity:
• Infrastructure development for drinking
water supply: ACF promoted investment in
household rain water harvesting systems.
they also installed water distribution
systems in villages that transported water
from centralized well to decentralized taps
in the community.
• Infrastructure development to increase
water harvesting and groundwater
recharge: ACF built check dams, community
ponds and constructed long interlinking
canals to join streams with village water
ponds. ACF converted mined-out pits to
artificial lakes and reservoirs by diverting
surface water run-off into the pits.
• Education and knowledge impartment :
ACF raised the issue of salinity aiming
the community, conducted trainings with
farmers in micro irrigation and encouuraged
growing salinity on the community and
resistant crop varieties.
• Technology: ACF promoted modern
technologies such as micro irrigation,
mulching and use of saline resistant crop
varieties (KRL19 wheat) which can be
grown in high TDS areas as well.
• People’s institutions: Village Watershed
Committees, Farmers Producer Companies,
Drinking Water & Sanitation Committees
were also constituted to drive local
solutions.
Outcome
The above interventions led to the following
macro impacts:
• 38.79 mcm of additional water
• 22% increase in agricultural productivity
• 227 check dams
• 69.26 km interlinking canals
• 119 ponds rejuvenated
• Around 4000 rainwater harvesting systems
installed.
• 70 drinking water distribution systems
9
htpps://www.ambujacementfoundation.org/uploads/ACF-Partnering-to-reverse-the-tide-edited.pdf COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 23
Place of implementation: Khadakwasla Dam,
Pune
Organization: Green Thumb supported
by Bombay Engineering Group, Southern
Command
Year of implementation: 2014
Background:
The storage capacity of Khadakwasla dam
has reduced significantly to 2.90 TMC from
3.75 TMC due to siltation. The silt which
ran down from the catchment area formed
numerous islands in the lake on which the
cattle used to graze. Silt deposit reduced the
size of the lake and therefore after the first
rains, the lake used to get filled up and during
the consequent rains, the dam overflowed
downstream causing floods. Dumping of
construction material, debris and garbage
around and in the reservoir was also another
cause of reduction in dam’s storage capacity.
To increase the water holding capacity there
were three options viz. increasing the dam’s
height, build new dam or rejuvenation of
existing dam.
Objective: To rejuvenate the dam and increase
its water holding capacity
Intervention:
• The first two options were not feasible
from the ecological and economical
aspects and thus, desilting was carried
out to rejuvenate the dam. Removal of
silt from the dam was the only faster and
cost-effective way.
• Primitive methods were adopted by using
JCBS, dozer, grader, poclain, dumper
truck & tippers to remove the silt. The silt
REJUVENATION OF
KHADAKWASLA DAM FOR
AUGMENTATION OF WATER USE COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 24
is then pitched & bunded on the periphery of
the lake, excess silt is distributed off free to
locals & farmers.
• Large scale tree (approx. 10 lakh trees) &
grass plantation to avoid soil erosion.
• Proper landscaping to beautify the area.
• Fencing of the entire stretch to protect the
water from stray cattle and people.
• Propagation of endemic flora including rare
and endangered species by mostly planting
indigenous trees & grass.
• Citizen awareness created with the help of
print media, radio and television presentation
on a large scale.
• In-site conservation of bio-diversity is
promoted by taking stock of local flora &
fauna.
Outcome:
• Removal of more than 15 lakh truckload of
silt till Jan, 2019 leading to enhanced water
holding capacity by 0.2 TMC. To build a dam
of the same capacity, massive investment of
500-700 crores would have been required.
• The total area desilted was 75 lakhs cubic
meter.
• Approx. 5 lakh trees planted to avoid
further siltation into the dam, benefitting
the overall growth into the ‘Green Cover’ for
the country.
• Encroachments by village goons and cattle
sheds removed and replaced by gazebo
huts for visitors.
• Additional source of income was generated
for farmers through ‘fish farming’. Landless
farmers were provided with a viable
business opportunity by Green Thumb
desilting initiative as it enhanced the water
capacity of the reservoir giving birth to
fishing culture.
11
https://greenthumb.in/khadakwasla-dam-rejuvenation/ COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 25
Place of implementation: Barwani and
Khargone districts located in Nimar region of
Madhya Pradesh
Organization: Aga Khan Rural Support
Programme
Year of Implementation: 2016
Background:
The topography is undulating, hilly and
mountainous with abundance of seasonal
and perennial streams. Only 36% of the
net sown area in Barwani is irrigated, while
56% of net sown area in Khargone district
is irrigated. Most agricultural land is rainfed
and cultivation is undertaken for Kharif
crop only. Migration for the rest of the year
for livelihoods to Gujarat and Maharashtra
is common. Groundwater extraction was
greater than 65%, indicating moderate
overextraction. The districts lack natural
replenishment of the groundwater, because
of low and moderate permeability of the
deccan traps. There is a crucial need to shift
to surface water and rain-water usage for
irrigation purposes.
Intervention:
Aga Khan Rural Support Program(I)
(AKRSP) initiated work on first Diversion
Based Irrigation System (DBI) in 2016, as the
undulating topography offered good scope
for development of gravity-flow irrigation
systems. An expert in DBI systems took up
DIVERSION BASED IRRIGATION
SYSTEM COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 26
the initiative to set up the first DBI in
Barwani district. Previous DBI systems
have been successfully operationalized
DBIs in Kalahandi, Odisha and Udaipur,
Rajasthan.
Outcome:
• Over the last 6 years, 13 DBI
systems have been operationalized
bringing 111 ha of land under
irrigation coverage and benefitted
93 farmers.
• The cost of implementation comes
to Rs.300 per running meter.
• An average DBI system is around
800-1000 metres long and provides
irrigation to 5-10 ha of land, thus
benefitting 5-8 tribal farmers.
11
https://www.axisbankfoundation.org/download/knowledge-corner/Compendium_Best%20practices%20in%20water%20management.pdf
Diversion Based Irrigation Systems (Phad Irrigation
System)
Diversion of water from a river or stream through
construction of bandharas into a small canal taking
off from the upstream side of the bandhara.
The water is then supplied to phads or small blocks
of land. Each phad has a number of agricultural plots
belonging to different cultivators. To optimize the
traditional phad irrigation system, the implementing
agencies/NGO have improved upon the ancient
practice.
A small storage tank is built across the stream. Water
is then transferred via pipelines and valved outlets
to beneficiary farmers. This reduces transmission
losses of water and increases the life of the system
as compared to the traditional earthen channels,
which need frequent repair and maintenance. COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 27
Place of Implementation: Nuapada district in
Odhisa
Organization: Jal Jeevan Mission, Govt. of
Odhisa
Year of Implementation: 2019
Background:
Over-extraction of groundwater in Nuapada
district of western Odisha has resulted in
increased concentrations of natural fluoride
in groundwater (as high as 4.95 milligrams
per litre). This led to unavailability of clean
and safe water in the village. In the absence
of alternative sources of drinking water,
villagers were forced to drink groundwater,
which led to serious health threats like
fluorosis and kidney failure. Villagers spent
almost 50-60 % of their earnings in health-
related issues.
Objectives:
Provide access to clean and safe drinking
water in Odhisa.
Interventions:
Source of drinking water was changed from
groundwater to surface water. Two major
schemes were implemented in the district
under the Jal Jeevan Mission. The Lower
Indira dam and Jonk river dam have become
potential sources of drinking water for the
village. Stored water from the dam reservoir
was collected in intake wells and transported
CLEAN AND SAFE DRINKING
WATER IN ODHISA COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 28
to water treatment plants. Water is then purified
to drinking standard here and transferred to
overhead tanks in different villages.
Outcomes:
• Potable water in villages through functional
taps.
• Fall in kidney failure cases by 30 per cent,
and no new cases in the last one year.
• Field testing kits provided to villages, where
trained women representatives of the Village
Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs)
test the water for potability and report to
district water-testing laboratories.
• Village Water and Sanitation Committees
(VWSCs) formed in all the villages of the
district.
• Series of capacity-building programmes
were conducted
12
https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/water/world-water-day-2023-nuapada-switched-to-surface-from-ground-sources-to-solve-its-problems-
of-quality-and-quantity-88378 COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 29
Place of Implementation: Neknampur Lake,
Hyderabad (Telangana)
Organization: Dhruvansh organization
Year of Implementation: 2016
Background:
Neknampur lake with area of 25 acres of lake
was contaminated with garbage, sewage,
water hyacinth, cultural siltation and debris
dumping. Encroachment issues plus a
legacy garbage dumped place of Manikonda
Municipality in Hyderabad became a serious
cause of concern.
Objective:
• Restoration of lake and biodiversity
• Increase in water retention capacity
• Create a recreational place
• Biological STP model installation at lake
Intervention:
• Phytoremediation & bioremediation to
purify water in lake.
• Desilting of lake.
• Floating treatment wetlands installation &
their maintenance at lake.
• Ecological beds establishment at lake.
• Solar Floating Aerators at lake to make
lake energy free.
• Floating Bikes at lake to remove floating
NEKNAMPUR LAKE
RESTORATION - DHRUVANSH
ORGANIZATION COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 30
garbage at lake.
• Biodiversity register of lake.
• Protection of Pythons, monitor lizards &
turtles from poachers.
• Stopping of Invasive species in lake water
like catfish & red-eared terrapin.
• Conducting Cultural programs at lake for
Cultural rejuvenation of lake.
• Immersion pond at lake for separate
festival celebrations at lake.
• More than one lakh plantation at lake
which includes native species & medicinal
plants
Outcome:
• 90% reduction in BOD of the lake due
to constant maintenance of treatment
system. Neknampur lake water analysis
parameters are available on TSPCB webite
for every month.
• Beautiful lake with no smell or odor
though sewage is still coming into lake.
• Water hyacinth still in lake but never
covered the lake.
• Recreational place for Community.
• Lake rejuvenation & Community
rejuvenation going parallelly.
13
https://www.equatorinitiative.org/2020/04/24/solution11006/.
For more details please contact Dhruvansh Oganization at info@dhruvansh.org COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 31
SMART WATER
INFRASTRUCTURE COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 32
Improving water services through smart
metering in The Republic of Korea - Korea
Water Resources Corporation
Using satellites for better
irrigation - Australia
Sponge city initiative -
People’s Republic of China
Community-based Stormwater Smartgrids:
Distributed AI/IoT Rain Harvesting Networks for
Flood and Drought Resilience- Raingrid COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 33
Place of Implementation: Cha – ri Village,
Seosan City, Republic of Korea
Organization: Seosan city government,
K-water (Korea Water Resources Corporation)
Year of Implementation: 2016
Background:
Cha- ri a small village operated by two
district metered areas located in Seosan City
of South Korea faced several water losses
due to deterioration of water pipes. Seosan
city has relatively low rate of non-revenue
water, except one of its village Cha-ri which
has high rate of non-revenue water at 32%
in 2015. Due to drought situation in 2015, it
was difficult to identify and reduce water
loss in a wide supply area. To detect and
reduce water leak Kapilage, Sesoan City and
K-Water installed smart metering system to
understand and cope with drought situation.
Objective:
• To detect water loss and reduce rate of
non-revenue water, leakage from burst
pipes and improve customer satisfaction
in Cha-ri village.
Interventions:
• Seosan city and K- Water Installed Smart
water meters in region.
• Created nine sub district metered area
systems withing two district metered
areas.
IMPROVING WATER SERVICES
THROUGH SMART METERING IN
THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 34
• Non-revenue water analysis was
conducted on daily basis to understand
and detect leakage.
• Water monitoring systems was expanded
to 12 branches.
• Customer satisfaction evaluated by smart
phones.
Outcome:
• Difference of 430 cubic meters per day
was found between the flow rate in the
district metered areas and the total flow
rate of the water supply area in the Cha-ri.
• Increase in flexibility in managing
response time to address complaints of
failure in service.
• Rate of non-revenue water decreased
from 32% to 10% after installation of smart
water systems.
• Control system allowed for the analysis of
customer usage patterns, which resulted
in 55% reduction in customers water
usage and 70% reduction in cost to the
customer.
15
https://development.asia/case-study/improving-water-service-through-smart-metering COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 35
Place of Implementation: Australia
Organization:
IrriSAT app was created by Mr. John
Hornbuckle, Jamie Vleeshouwer and Dr.
Janelle Montgomery.The app was awarded
as ‘Best technology’ in the WatSave Annual
Awards 2018 in Australia.
Year of Implementation: 2019
Background:
Traditional methods of collecting data such
as manual measurements or ground-based
surveys can be time-consuming and labor-
intensive. Moreover, these irrigation systems
often rely on fixed schedules or manual
observation, which may lead to overwatering
or under watering of crops. Without accurate
information on crop water requirements and
environmental conditions, farmers struggle
to determine the optimal timing and duration
of irrigation. Drought conditions and limited
water availability pose additional challenges
to agricultural productivity. Weather-based
irrigation management systems can help
mitigate the impact of drought by adjusting
irrigation schedules based on forecasted
weather conditions.
Objective: Use of remote sensing to increase
irrigation efficiency and crop productivity
Intervention:
• IrriSAT is a weather-based irrigation
management app developed in Australia.
USING SATELLITES FOR BETTER
IRRIGATION COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 36
It uses remote sensing to provide
site specific crop water management
information across large spatial scales at
fine resolution.
• Developed using Google Earth Engine,
this app delivers crop water use and
information to assist in irrigation
scheduling and crop productivity
benchmarking.
Outcome:
• IrriSAT users reported water savings from
using tool in several ways:
• Modifying irrigation timing to better
match crop water demands.
• Better predicting coming climate events
and modifying irrigation schedules /
deficits to minimize impacts on crop.
• Identifying poorer performing areas
within irrigated crops and changing
management i.e. laser levelling.
• Benchmarking performance of irrigated
fields across farms and regions and
using limited water resources on better
performing fields.
1 6
https://irrisat-cloud.appspot.com/doc/IrriSAT_QuickGuide_20052016.pdf COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 37
Place of Implementation: China
Organization: People’s Republic of China
Year of Implementation: 2014
Background:
Urbanization and industrialization along
with opening-up policies since 1978 led to
rapid economic and urban growth in the
Performance Reference Compound (PRC),
with an urbanization rate of 64.7% (2021).
The PRC faced significant flooding across
the country that killed 397 people, affected
14.3 million people, and caused $21.8 billion
in economic losses. Building vast concrete
barriers and covering all permeable surfaces
is not sustainable and instead cities should
adopt nature-based solutions to flooding.
Sponge cities is one such solution that allows
urban areas to absorb water in times of high
rainfall and release it in times of drought.
Objectives:
• To adopt low impact developments
concept which improve effective control
of urban peak runoff, and temporarily
store, recycle and purify stormwater.
• To integrate systems of Blue-Green-Grey
infrastructure.
• It also focuses on upgrading traditional
drainage systems by constructing
underground water storage tanks and
tunnels, and integrating natural water
SPONGE CITY INITIATIVE:
SUSTAINABLE URBAN WATER
MANAGEMENT COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 38
bodies.
Interventions:
• China has implemented a comprehensive
solution. They have combined low
impact development methods with grey
infrastructures, large scale flood control
projects and rehabilitation.
• Indicators like control rate of annual runoff
volume (CRARV), wastewater reuse rate,
rainwater reuse rate, groundwater table,
pluvial flood control and prevention
ability were used to identify performance
assessment on flood control, aquatic
environments, water resources, water
security and other aspects.
• Greenways development for controlling
the volume of stormwater runoff.
• Reconstruction of pervious pavement
and pipelines
• Artificial wetlands, artificial ponds and
artificial soil infiltration are all used to
purify and retain rainwater runoff at the
end of catchments.
• Restored riverside wetlands and gentle
green slopes along the river to reduce
flood risk.
• Sponge city infrastructure like rain
gardens and bioswales integrated with
drainage pipe network improvements
Outcome:
• After implementing Sponge city program
Shenzhen now has a high-density
greenway network that totals over 2,300
kilometers in length, including green
transport corridors, forests, and parks
varying in width from under 3 m to over
100 m.
• Sponge city program eliminated flooding
in six areas, eliminated pollution in seven
river branches, and reduced the urban
heat island effect.
17
https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/838386/adb-brief-222-sponge-cities-prc.pdf “ COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 39
Place of Implementation: Canada
Organization: Raingrid
Year of Implementation: 2015
Background:
• Canada is committed to sustainable storm
water management as by increasing
permeable surfaces through water
sensitive urban design like bioswales,
raingardens and permeable paving, they
also invest in collecting storm water.
At the individual and property level
rain tanks are promoted to collect and
measure rain water runoff.
• But there are various problems at
property-based rain harvesting and
land-based infiltration systems, where it
is difficult to measure storing capacity,
if system is already storing past storm
water.
• To address this issue Raingrid stormwater
Smart grid was developed using Artificial
Intelligence and IoT system. The purpose
of AI is to determine how much rain fall
will runoff from roof of the household
given predicted rainfall wherease IoT
system is used to capture, filter and
stores it in suitably sized cistern. on-
board sensors calculate temperature,
barometric pressure and rooftop runoff
retained in the cistern.
• AI also predicts property by property
COMMUNITY-BASED STORMWATER
SMARTGRIDS: DISTRIBUTED AI/IOT
RAIN HARVESTING NETWORKS FOR
FLOOD AND DROUGHT RESILIENCE COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 40
basis when the next rainfall is likely to
come, and to consequently empty cisterns
to provide appropriate storage to ensure
practically zero stormwater runoff from the
rooftops that constitute the majority of urban
impermeable area.
Objective:
• Flood Prevention
• Weather prediction through AI and IoT
• Reducing need for piped stormwater
management
Intervention:
• RainGrid’s Residential Stormwater Smartgrid
Utility Technology (RSSUT) is a smart water
management technology designed to capture
rain runoff from rooftops.
• The RainGrid system consists of: individual
property cisterns, an artificial intelligent
cloudbased weather algorithm, localized
sensors, and electrically actuated drainage
for harvested water reuse either within or
exterior to the building envelope. A basic
RainGrid System offers two stage primary
filtration and storage in either above or below
ground cisterns.
• Primary goal of taking rooftops offline from
the storm sewer system, with a secondary goal
of providing harvested water for groundwater
recharge, potable or non-potable uses.
• RainGrid offers real-time rainfall/diversion
data visualisation and micro-climate analytics
on an individual property and network wide
aggregation.
• IoT system has sensors for temperature,
barometric pressure, and cistern level, and an
electrically actuated valve for drainage.
Outcomes:
• Stormwater Smartgrid system successfully
reduces 90% rain water runoff size of the
cistern serving the roof area.
• Stormwater Smartgrid system is capable of
retaining roughly 60% of all urban runoff as
system penetration rises from 20-80%.
• Because of the smart grid innovation, RainGrid
was designated by the Water Research
Foundation (WRF) Leaders Innovation Forum
for Technology (LIFT) as an Intelligent Water
System for demonstration adoption and
implementation by municipalities and utilities
in 2015.
18
https://www.iwra.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/9-SWM-Canada-Final.pdf COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 41
WASTEWATER
TREATMENT & REUSE COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 42
Growing tomatoes without
soil using vertical farming in
hydroponics- Sundrop Farms
Waterless dyeing technology
in textile processing - DELFT
University, DyeCoo, Tong Siang Co.
Reuse of treated water
in Arequipa, Peru - Cerro
Verde
Making Namakkal District of Tamil
Nadu Water secure - District
Administration of Tamil Nadu
Reuse of treated wastewater in
thermal power plant in Nagpur -
Nagpur Municipal Corporation
Watershed development in
Hyderabad to address water
scarcity COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 43
Place of Implementation: Port Augusta,
South Australia
Organization: Sundrop Farms
Year of Implementation: 2016
Background:
• The UN’s Food and Agricultural
Organization estimates that food
production levels need to be increased by
70% from 2007 levels by 2050 to feed a
projected world population of 9.7 billion.
• Due to reduced availability of land for
agriculture, efficient farming methods
have become a necessity.
• Sun Drop farms established in 2016, is one
of the leading tomato producers in barren
regions of Australia that grow tomatoes
with the help of sea water and sunlight.
Objectives:
• To produce crop with the help of sea water,
without soil in arid regions.
• To increase water usage efficiency in farms
and conserve more water.
• Use of vertical farming to achieve food
security
Interventions:
• Port Augusta farm is a 4.5-hectare
greenhouse, powered by a 51,500 m2
concentrated solar power plant consisting
of 23,000 mirrors directing the sun at a
127-metre-high tower weighing 234 tons.
GROWING TOMATOES WITHOUT
SOIL USING VERTICAL FARMING
IN HYDROPONICS COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 44
• The heat generated is used for three
processes: to keep 20 ha of greenhouses
at optimum temperature; to generate
electricity via a turbine to power farm
systems; and to desalinate seawater drawn
from the nearby Spencer Gulf.
• A vertical farming hydroponics facility is
established to grow tomatoes without soil.
• The desalination unit produces pure water
to irrigate the crops. The heat and carbon
dioxide keep the tomatoes in the optimum
atmosphere to facilitate year-round
photosynthesis.
Outcome:
• The farm produces one million liters of
fresh water every day by desalinating
seawater drawn from 3 km away.
• 7,000 tonnes of tomatoes a year i.e.15%
of Australia’s total crop was grown in arid
land.
• 1,80,000 of tomatoes were grown
hydroponically in stacks without soil.
• Saving of 2 million liters of diesel and
15,000 tons of CO2 when compared to
traditional farms.
19
https://irrisat-cloud.appspot.com/doc/IrriSAT_QuickGuide_20052016.pdf COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 45
Place of Implementation: Taiwan
Organization: DELFT University, DyeCoo and
Tong Siang Co.
Year of Implementation: 2012
Background:
• Conventional textile dyeing is highly water
intensive. It uses fresh water as solvent
generates highly polluted water that must
be treated extensively prior to discharge
into rivers.
• A new commercial scale technology
for dyeing synthetic fabric, DyeOx, was
implemented in Taiwan that utilizes carbon
dioxide (CO2) instead of water in the
dyeing process. This technology does not
require water or chemicals, and uses lesser
energy than in conventional processes.
• The technology was conceived at DELFT
University and commercialized by the
start-up DyeCoo and Tong Siang Co., a
dyehouse in Thailand.
Objective:
• To reduce withdrawal of waste water and
reduce consumption of freshwater in
textile industry.
• To improve water quality and increase net
basin benefit.
Intervention:
• Waterless dyeing technology utilizes
recycled CO2 in a semi closed loop dyeing
WATERLESS DYEING
TECHNOLOGY IN TEXTILE
PROCESSING COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 46
process for polyester fabrics. Nike Inc.
partnered with DyeCoo in 2012 to implement
waterless dyeing technology in four factories
in Taiwan.
• Two machines were installed that produce
9,20,000 kg of fabric per annum and
consumed less water.
Outcome:
• Elimination of chemical solvents
• Reduction in energy usage by 49%.
• Reduction in water withdrawals of 8256000
m3 when compared with conventional dyeing
methods.
• Waste water treatment resulted in zero
effluent discharge.
20
https://2030wrg.org/wpcontent/uploads/2022/01/72-D-Waterless-dying-technology-in-textile-processing.pdf COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 47
Place of Implementation: Arequipa, Peru
Organization: CerroVerde
Year of Implementation: 2016
Background:
• In 2008, more than 90 % of municipal
sewage and waste water from Arequipa
city in Peru was discharged directly into
the Chili River. Largest copper mine in Peru
Cerro Verde required access to additional
water supply to expand its operations.
• To meet the water needs a water resource
recovery facility called La Enlozada was
designed, financed, built, and operated
by Cerro Verde under a public-private
partnership (PPP) agreement.
Objective:
• To treat waste water and to improve Chili
water river quality.
• To reduce waterborne disease and advance
sustainable solutions to region’s water
supply and sanitation sector.
Intervention:
• La Enlozada was built on the grounds of
the Cerro Verde mining complex which
contains the wastewater collection
system, pumping station, and wastewater
treatment plant. Land was provided by
municipal authorities.
REUSE OF TREATED
WATER IN AREQUIPA,
PERU COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 48
• Cerro Verde committed to finance in exchange
of providing water resource recovery
facilities. Cerro Verde would receive a
percentage of the treated water to be used
for mining processes. The rest of the treated
wastewater would be returned to the river,
to be used by farmers downstream.
Outcomes:
• The city of Arequipa is benefitting from
wastewater treatment at no cost to the
taxpayer. Wastewater treatment coverage
has increased. More than 95 percent of the
city’s wastewater is treated.
• Enhanced water quality of Chili River
boosted biodiversity in river.
• The Chili River was rehabilitated, and
incidents of waterborne illness reduced.
• Farmers use improved quality of treated
water for irrigation for crops.
21
https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/fr/919231576609000366/pdf/Wastewater-From-Waste-to-Resource-The-Case-of-Arequipa-Peru.
pdf COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 49
Place of Implementation: Namakkal District
of Tamil Nadu
Organization: District administration in five
municipalities, 19 town panchayats and
322 village Panchayats across the district
Year of Implementation: 2022
Objective: Address water scarcity in
Namakkal district and make it water
secure.
Background:
Before 2022, Namakkal district of Tamil Nadu
was facing severe water scarcity. To deal with
water scarcity five municipalities of district
administration, 19 town panchayats and 322
panchayats across the district implemented
several water conservation activities, rain
water harvesting, lakes, rivers, springs
protection and reconstruction works
Interventions:
• To capture rainwater and replenish the
groundwater table rooftop collection
systems, percolation tanks and check
dams were constructed.
• Artificial recharge structures were
constructed for recharging groundwater.
• Around 685 individual farm ponds, 530
community farm ponds, 113 recharge shafts
and 105 check dams were constructed
across the district.
• Encroachments spread along the
NAMAKKAL DISTRICT
OF TAMIL NADU BECAME
WATER SECURED COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 50
waterbodies were removed across the district.
• Data acquisition systems were implemented
to effectively monitor and control water
supply networks.
Outcome:
• 49 tanks and 1400 kms of minor streams,
rivers were rejuvenated.
• Encroachments spread over 110 acres along
waterbodies across the district were removed.
• Sewerage network of around 24.72 km was
created.
• Sewerage cleaning over a length of 500 km
was undertaken.
• Recharge of aquifer significantly reduced
reliance on unsustainable sources.
• Advanced technologies enable the
administration to detect leaks, reduce system
losses, optimise water distribution.
• With implemented strategies Namakkal
became second best district in India in terms
of groundwater availability.
• In Union Jal Shakti Ministry’s annual ranking,
Namakkal achieved second place in the
conservation and management category for
the year 2022.
22
https://www.indiawaterportal.org/articles/namakkal-district-tamil-nadu-sets-example-becoming-water-secure pdf COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 51
Place of Implementation: Nagpur
Organization: MahaGenCo, Nagpur Municipal
Corporation (NMC)
Year of Implementation: 2015
Background:
The city generated around 425 million liters a
day of wastewater with a capacity of just 100
million liters a day, increasing population and
large volume used in thermal power plants,
makes city water stressed. MahaGenCo
partnered with NMC to explore the use of
wastewater from treatment plant for its
operation.
Objective:
• Address water scarcity in Nagpur.
• To increase water demand for power
plant.
• To diversify water supply sources by
incorporating alternative sources (treated
wastewater) and invest in sanitation and
wastewater infrastructure for the city.
Intervention:
• Project included a raw wastewater intake
facility with a pumping station of 130
million liters per day.
• Wastewater treatment plant with
secondary and tertiary treatment to meet
MahaGenCo’s water quality requirements.
• A 16.2 km pipeline from the wastewater
treatment plant to the power plant.
REUSE OF TREATED
WATER IN THERMAL POWER
PLANT IN NAGPUR COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 52
• A one-day reservoir of treated wastewater
at the Thermal Power Plant for back-up.
• End user was MahaGenCo of waste water
for that they paid NMC INR 2.03 per cubic
meter of raw wastewater.
Outcomes :
• The city of Nagpur is on its way to
becoming the first Indian city to reuse
more than 90 percent of its wastewater.
• The proximity of the power plant to the
wastewater treatment plant lowered
water transport costs.
• Treated waste water is less expensive for
a power plant and has consistent quality
and quantity more than freshwater.
23
https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/847531576610020104/pdf/Wastewater-From-Waste-to-Resource-The-Case-of-Nagpur-India. pdf COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 53
Place of Implementation: Five villages near
Hyderabad, Telangana.
Organization, National Agro Foundation
Year of Implementation: 2021
Background:
• There are two primary sources of
water in Hyderabad — the Nagarjuna
Sagar reservoir (River Krishna) and the
Yellampalli reservoir (River Godavari).
Water levels at both these reservoirs were
dangerously low in 2019 affecting the
drinking water supply for its 6.8 million
residents.
• In year 2021, Novartis in collaboration
with non-profit organization National
Agro Foundation launched watershed
development program to solve problem
of water scarcity in 5 villages Near
Hyderabad, Telangana region.
Objectives:
• Improving drinking water availability
and quality, and sanitation facilities to
maximize economic and social welfare
without compromising vital ecosystems.
• Install drinking water and sanitation
facilities at local schools, provide livelihood
support (e.g., backyard poultry, livestock for
milk) to landless families through women
self-help groups, and plant 3,000 trees.
WATERSHED DEVELOPMENT
IN HYDERABAD TO ADDRESS
WATER SCARCITY COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 54
Interventions:
• Implied integrated model to rejuvenate
vital eco system.
• Promotion of inclusive development.
• Capacity-building to farmers, in particular
training on advanced water-saving
techniques and methods to increase
agricultural productivity sustainably.
Outcomes:
• Increase in water availability by 50%-
60%.
• Ground water table augmented by 10
feet (3 meters)
• Benefited around 2000 families.
• Created an additional 50,000 m3 water
storage capacity.
• Harvested 60,000m3 volume of
rainwater
• Increased farmer income to INR 8100 per
acre.
24
https://www.novartis.com/in-en/the-road-water-neutrality-a-race-we-can-wipdf COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 55
CLIMATE RESILIENT
WATER MANAGEMENT COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 56
Temporary flood water storage in
agricultural areas in the Middle Tisza
river basin - Govt. of Hungary
Sihlanzimvelo Stream Cleaning
Project - eThekwini municipality,
South Africa
Metropolitan Area Outer Underground
Discharge Channel (MAOUDC)- Tokyo
City Administration
Making Namakkal District of Tamil
Nadu Water secure - District
Administration of Tamil Nadu
Flood Forecasting and Early
Warning System - Govt. of Kolkata
and Asian Development Bank COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 57
Place of Implementation: Middle Tisza river
basin, Hungary
Organization: Government of Hungary
Year of Implementation: 2009
Background:
River straightening, combined with other
factors (sediment accumulation in some river
sections, deforestation, land use change)
caused continuous increase in peak flood
water levels. Peak water levels were 753 cm
in 1876, 909 cm in 1970 and 1040 cm in 2000.
From the period 1998-2001 four serious flood
events took place on the Tisza river with
peak water levels, as neither the height of
the dikes, nor their strength were adequate.
In one flood event dikes were ruptured and
protected areas were flooded.
Objective:
• Cost effective measures for flood
protection strategy for the middle Tisza
river basin
• To cope with the changing condition of
river basin and strengthen weak points of
existing dike system.
Intervention:
• Six temporary reservoirs were used for
agricultural purposes in normal periods
and utilized for temporary water retention
TEMPORARY FLOOD WATER
STORAGE IN AGRICULTURAL AREAS
IN THE MIDDLE TISZA RIVER BASIN COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 58
during flood. An additional water retention
area along the Tisza river was created
in 2022. The water retention areas were
planned to have a lifetime of over 100
years.
• A mechanism of economic compensation
implemented by the government for
remunerating farmers in case of damage
to the agricultural soil and yield losses
during flood events
• Cost-benefit analysis of the selected
strategy performed
Outcome:
• Area utilized for agricultural purposes in
normal conditions, is eventually flooded
(intentionally and under controlled
conditions) and utilized for flood water
retention in case of emergency.
• This system supplemented the dikes to
cope with floods with a return period of
100 years or higher.
• Allowed buffering during extreme
precipitation events and reducing flood
wave propagation, with consistent
beneficial implications for flood risk
mitigation.
• First polder was inaugurated in 2009 and
other five temporary planned reservoirs
were completed during 2010-2015.
• One of these polders was successfully
used in 2010 flood event which showed
that flood mitigation system proved
effective for the purposes of disaster risk
reduction.
• Cost benefit analysis presented a trade-
off between efficiency in risk reduction
and relatively low initial investment costs.
25
https://climateadapt.eea.europa.eu/en/metadata/case-studies/temporary-flood-water-storage-in-agricultural-areas-in-the-middle-tisza-river-
basin-hungary/#adapt_options_anchor COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 59
Place of Implementation: Durban, South
Africa
Organization: eThekwini municipality in
partnership with Roads and Stormwater
Maintenance Unit
Year of Implementation: 2011
Background:
Durban (eThekwini) is the third most
populous city in South Africa. The coastline
along eThekwini is vulnerable to flooding and
erosion as culverts designed in earlier times
did not factor in the debris carried by rivers
during storm events. The streams are located
in high density, low-income settlements with
poor water quality. This poses human health
risks and flood associated impacts. Alien and
invasive vegetation, accumulation of solid
waste increased the amount of silt in rivers
causing stormwater blockages. This project
is located within the uMhlangane River
Catchment to help the city manage flooding
and stormwater blockages.
Objective:
• To remove solid waste, alien and invasive
vegetation along 295 km of streams.
• To control flood and clean stormwater
blockages.
• To create employment.
SIHLANZIMVELO STREAM
CLEANING PROJECT COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 60
• To educate communities about flood
management.
Intervention:
Community co-operatives of 8-10 local
people involved in :
• Clearing 5 km of river along with 3 m
corridors on either side of water.
• Re-planting indigenous plants in riparian
zones.
• Reporting sewer leaks and blocked
manholes.
• Circulating knowledge about species and
vegetation within the community.
Outcome:
• Sihlanzimvelo expanded its reach from
295 km to 525 km, creating clean public
spaces for recreation.
• Around 800 jobs were created, saving
millions of rand by preventing damage
to road culverts and infrastructure in the
city.
• The maintenance program removed solid
waste and alien vegetation in KwaMashu
under the Sihlanzimvelo Stream Cleaning
Project.
26
https://issuu.com/glen.t/docs/imiesa_october_2022/s/17157119 COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 61
Place of Implementation: Tokyo, Japan
Organization: City Administration
Year of Implementation: 2005
Background:
Tokyo experiences severe floods during the
monsoon as the rivers swell during that time.
The stormwater drainage system does not
have the capacity to accommodate runoff
during extreme rainfall. To mitigate risk of
flooding City administration developed
Metropolitan Area Outer Underground
Discharge Channel (MAOUDC) system.
Objective:
• To build flood defense system using
advanced infrastructure.
• To mitigate risk of flooding and associated
impacts.
Intervention:
• Underground tunnels works as a function
to divert and manage flood water.
• Five contaminant silos which are
connected to 6.3 km long central tunnel
located 50 meters beneath the surface
collects excess water from rivers in and
around the city.
• System contains pumps and water tanks
to divert overflowing flood water into the
METROPOLITAN AREA OUTER
UNDERGROUND DISCHARGE
CHANNEL (MAOUDC) COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 62
underground silos and tunnels.
• When the flow within the river system
becomes normal, stored water is pumped
back into the Edo river that is connected to
the Tokyo Bay.
Outcome:
• Flood water is successfully stored during
extreme rainfall and reduced the risk of water
stagnation around the city.
• The damages resulting from floods have been
reduced (halved) in comparison to losses
before establishing the defense system.
• The tunnels are open to tourists and visitors
to spread awareness about the importance
of disaster management during inactivity.
27
A catalogue of best practices for building flood resilience, National Institute of Urban Affairs, July 2022 “ COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 63
Place of Implementation: Kolkata, West
Bengal
Organization: Kolkata Municipal Corporation
(KMC) with technical assistance from Asian
Development Bank (ADB)
Year of Implementation: 2018
Background: Kolkata is highly prone to
recurring flooding:
• Urbanization challenges like encroachment
of water bodies, inadequate storm water
drainage systems, inadequate solid waste
management block the tidal channels
• Deltaic topography and extreme rainfall
• Lack of flood preparedness.
• Flood Forecasting and Early Warning
System (FFEWS) is the first comprehensive
city level early warning system in India
implemented by KMC with the help of
ADB.
Objective:
• To improve flood resilience of the city
• Monitor and disseminate flood risk data
Interventions:
• Establishing a city level FFEWS designed
to visualize the real time information
on temperature, air quality and water
FLOOD FORECASTING AND
EARLY WARNING SYSTEM
IN KOLKATA COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 64
stagnation and other climate related data
using 400 sensor nodes.
• Installation of ultrasonic sensors across
vulnerable hotspots and critical junctions
like canals, water pumping stations, traffic
junctions and schools
• Community involvement through installation
of shopfront sensors in commercial areas.
• Capturing real time information on
• Flood and air quality and upload on a
centralised cloud server for processing.
This data collected can be visualized in
a Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
platform.
• Disseminate warnings to the public through
mobile notifications, radio and television
broadcasts.
Outcome:
• Flooding reduced about 4,800 hectares,
and KMC expects further flood reduction
in over 6,000 hectares
• Reduced impacts from flood-induced
traffic congestions
• Flood-informed urban planning
• Reduced economic loss and impacts on
livelihoods
• Improved flood awareness and safety at
community level
• Access to environmental and inundation
data at the shop or building-level.
28
https://www.adb.org/publications/toward-resilient-kolkata COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 65
Key Learnings from
Compendium
Water conservation practices are being carried out across the globe that have immensely
benefitted the farmers and society resulted in optimal allocation of water resources. Studies
demonstrating significant changes in the system were selected for this compendium
and grouped under five themes viz. Policy-led interventions, Watershed development,
Smart water infrastructure, Wastewater treatment and its reuse and Climate resilient
water management. Overall, these interventions have immensely benefitted the farmers,
optimized the consumption of water resources and developed climate resilience in the
respective area. Specific learnings observed from the studies in this compendium are
described below:
Policy-led Interventions
1) Policy led interventions are instrumental in effective water management at village or
district level.
2) Tanks, check dams, farm ponds are conventional methods of water conservation with
which local communities strongly associate. Hence, community participiation will lead
to ownership and help in long term sustainability of the intervention.
3) Deeping of ponds and tanks is an effective way to restore groundwater levels and
address water scarcity. Silt resulted from soil excavation during deeping is an important
resource for the farmers and thus they are ready to participate in the whole process.
4) Water budgeting as adopted in Mukhyamantri Jal Swavlamban Abhiyan of Rajasthan
proved to an effective measure of optimizng water consumption.
5) Suucessful model of Drink From Tap Mission in PURI city can be replicated in other
cities as well. The main features of this mission are Right to Water policy, relaxed house
connection norms, reduced non revenue water through 100% metering and volumetric
metering.
6) Use of information technology with smart metring helps in data capturing which can be
used by the operators as a tool for decision making.
7) Construction of wells in water scarce regions will aid in impriving the fertility of land and
consequently the agricutral economy of the area.
8) Automation of canal systems will help in decision making process. COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 66
Watershed Development
1) Building robust and sustainable structures positively impact year long availability of water
2) Employing modern techniques like microirrigation , mulching raise the irrigation efficiency.
3) Community awareness about quality and qauntity of water can help in averting risk of water stress.
4) Precautions must be taken to avoid accumulation of silt in dams as it lowers the water holding capacity.
5) Shift from rain dependent farming to harvesting and storing rain water through diversion-based
farming is required.
6) Over extraction of ground water can lead to Fluoride contamination creating health issues.
7) Shift in source of water from ground water to surface water in areas which are contaminated with
heavy metals is recommended.
8) The implementation of Phytoremediation and Bioremediation techniques are effective in biological
rejuvenation of lakes.
9) The biological restoration of lake can integrate renewable energy options such as solar power within
the process.
Smart Water Infrastructure
1) The implementation of IoT and AI devices for monitoring water consumption and losses can
effectively predict weather patterns, leading to a reduction in non-revenue water and better
flood management.
2) In order to adapt to climate change, irrigation system needs to be conjugated with remote
sensing and satellite imagery techniques.
3) The timely prediction, and subsequent modification of irrigation schedules can enhance the
irrigation efficiency and crop productivity.
4) The implementation of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) is a viable approach to mitigate the
impact of floods.
5) Upgradation in traditional drainage systems is required.
6) The integration of blue, green, and gray infrastructure is a viable approach to effectively manage
floods.
Wastewater Treatment And Reuse
1) Hydroponics in combination with desalination is efficient method of growing crops with reduced
fresh water consumption. COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 67
2) Waterless drying technology in textile industries results in enormous amount of water and
energy savings.
3) Tertiary treatment of wastewater and its reuse in mining operations presents a financially and
environmentally beneficial model.
4) Nagpur model of reuse of tertiary treated water to generate steam in thermal power plant
is an excellent demonstration of how circular economy can result in lowering the volume of
freshwater withdrawal. This model can be adopted by other cities as well.
5) Community-driven initiatives are better maintained and demonstrate longevity in terms of
resource management.
6) In large urban water supply systems, comprehensive monitoring and real-time data procurement
ensures control, decision support and sustainable use of water resources.
Climate Resilient Water Management
1) In the wake of rising flood events all across India, sustainable flood protection initiatives are
required.
2) Hungary introduced a cost-effective practice for flood protection in which agricultural land is
used as temporary reservoir during flooding for water retention.
3) Constructing underground tunnels as practiced in Japan is an innovative measure to divert and
manage flood water. The water stored in the storage may be used for domestic supply or can
be pumped back into the river when the river water recedes.
4) Flood Forecasting and Early Warning System (FFEWS) model implemented in Kolkata can be
replicated in other cities.
5) Real time monitoring through smart technology is effective in building city’s flood resilience. COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 68 COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 69 COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 70
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 1
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0
COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 2 COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 3
COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN WATER MANAGEMENT – 3.0
Publisher
NATIONAL INSTITUTION FOR TRANSFORMING INDIA (NITI) AAYOG, NEW DELHI
Research Team
Avinash Mishra, N.Kumaravel, Arunlal K, Snigdha Goel
Date of Publication: July 2023
Copyright © NITI Aayog (2023)
Year of Publishing: 2023
Disclaimer
This document is intended as a Compendium of Best Practices of Water Management
across the country. While every effort has been made to ensure the correctness of
data/information used in this Compendium, NITI Aayog does not accept any legal
liability for the accuracy or inferences drawn from the material contained therein or
for any consequences arising from the use of this material. All data/information in this
Compendium has been self-certified by the respective implementing agency of the
best practice. NITI Aayog does not claim copyright for any images produced in the
Compendium. No part of this report may be reproduced in any form (electronic or
mechanical) without prior permission from or intimation to NITI Aayog.
The full Compendium should be referenced as follows:
NITI Aayog (2023) “COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN WATER MANAGEMENT - 3.0, 2023”
Text from this Compendium can be quoted provided the source is acknowledged.
Contact
NITI Aayog
NITI Aayog Bhawan, Parliament Street, New Delhi - 110001
India, Website: www.niti.gov.in
Write to us: amishra-pc@gov.in COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 iii COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 iv
List of Abbreviations
• ACF Ambuja Cement Foundation
• ADB Asian Development Bank
• AMRUT Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation
• AKRSP Aga Khan Rural Support Program
• CRARV Control Rate Of Annual Runoff Volume
• DBI Diversion Based Irrigation Systems
• FFEWS Flood Forecasting and Early Warning System
• GIS Geographic Information System
• JSA Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan
• JSYS Jala Samvardhane Yojana Sangha
• KMC Kolkata Municipal Corporation
• LIFT Leaders Innovation Forum for Technology
• MNREGA Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee
Act
• MJSA Mukhyamantri Jal Swavlamban Abhiyan
• MRSAC Maharashtra Remote Sensing Application Centre
• NBS Nature Based Solutions
• NLBC Narayanpur Left Bank Canal
• NMC Nagpur Municipal Corporation
• NRW Non-Revenue Water
• O&M Operation and Maintenance
• PHED Public Health Engineering Department
• PRC Performance Reference Compound
• PPP Public-Private Partnership
• RO Reverse Osmosis
• RSSUT Residential Stormwater Smart grid Utility Technology
• TDS Total Dissolved Solids
• TMC Thousand Million Cubic feet
• TUC Tank Users Groups
• VSAT Very Small Aperture Terminal
• VWSC Village Water and Sanitation Committees
• WATCO Water Corporation of Odisha
• WRF Water Research Foundation COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 v
Table of Contents
Foreword ii
Preface iii
List of Abbreviations iv
POLICY-LED INTERVENTIONS 1
Jal Samvardhan Yojana (Karanataka) 3
Neeru-Chettu Program (Andhra Pradesh) 5
Sujalam Sufalam Jal Abhiyan (Gujarat) 7
Mukhyamantri Jal Swavlamban Abhiyan (Rajasthan) 9
DRINK FROM TAP MISSION (24x7 Water Supply) - Odhisa 11
Kapildhara Yojana (Madhya Pradesh) 13
Automation of Irrigation System: Narayanpur Left Bank Canal System system
(Karnataka) 15
Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan (Maharashtra) 17
WATERSHED DEVELOPMENT 19
Reversing Salinity in Saurashtra 21
Rejuvenation of Khadakwasla Dam for augmentation of water use 23
Diversion Based Irrigation System 25
Clean and safe drinking water in Odhisa 27
Neknampur Lake Restoration 29
SMART WATER INFRASTRUCTURE 31
Improving water services through smart metering in The Republic of Korea 33
Using Satellites For Better Irrigation 35
Sponge City Initiative: Sustainable Urban Water Management 37
Community-based Stormwater Smartgrids: Distributed AI/IoT Rain Harvesting
Networks for Flood and Drought Resilience 39
WASTEWATER TREATMENT AND REUSE 41
Growing tomatoes without soil using vertical farming in hydroponics 43
Waterless dyeing technology in textile processing 45
Reuse of treated water in Arequipa, Pe 47
Namakkal District of Tamil Nadu became Water Secured 49
Reuse of treated water in thermal power plant in Nagpur 51
Watershed development in Hyderabad to address water scarcity 53 COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 vi
CLIMATE RESILIENT WATER MANAGEMENT 55
Temporary flood water storage in agricultural areas in the Middle Tisza river basin 57
Sihlanzimvelo Stream Cleaning Project: 59
Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel (MAOUDC) 61
Flood Forecasting and Early Warning System in Kolkata 63
Key Learnings from Compendium 65 COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 1
POLICY-LED
INTERVENTIONS COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 2
Jala Samvardhane Yojana
- Govt. of Karanataka
Neeru-Chettu Program -
Govt. of Andhra Pradesh
Sujalam Sufalam Jal
Abhiyan – Govt. of Gujrat
Mukhyamantri Jal
Swavlamban Abhiyan –
Govt. of Rajasthan
Drink From Tap Mission In Puri
City (A Case Study Of 24x7 Water
Supply) - Govt. of Odhisa
Kapildhara Yojana- Govt.
of Madhya Pradesh
Automation of irrigation systems:
Left Bank Canal System - Govt. of
Karnataka
Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan -
Govt. of Maharashtra COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 3
Place of implementation: Tumakuru District,
Karnataka
Organization: Jala Samvardhane Yojana
Sangha (JSYS) a society registered under the
Societies Act of Karnataka.
Year of implementation: 2002
Background:
Tanks (kere) have been the symbol of water
harvesting tradition in Karnataka since time
immemorial. Tank systems have contributed
to the sustainability of ecology, environment
and rural livelihood since centuries. Realizing
the pivotal role played by the tank system in
supporting rural livelihood and ecology the
Government of Karnataka gave priority for
restoration of traditional tank systems through
community-based tank approach.
Objectives:
• Providing enabling environment for
sustainable and decentralized tank
management systems
• Reduce poverty by developing and
strengthening community-based
institutions to take up development and
management activities
• Rehabilitate tanks within the district
Intervention:
• Comprehensive tank development was
carried out with the participation of Tank
Users Groups (TUG).
• Activities involved improvements to tank
bund, waste weir, Feeder canal, repairs to
the sluice to plug the leakages of water
JAL SAMVARDHAN YOJANA
(KARANATAKA) COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 4
from the tank and desolation of tank bed to
restore its original capacity of the tank and to
improve groundwater level, etc
• In 1st phase (from 2002 to 2009) out of 357
tanks proposed, 340 tanks were taken for
implementation and in the 2nd phase, (from
2009 to 2012) out of 119 tanks proposed 114
tanks were taken. Out of 357 tanks, in 340
tanks rejuvenation works are completed and
are handed over to Tank User Groups for
further maintenance.
• Further, in the second phase out of 119
tanks in 114 tanks rejuvenation works were
completed and handed over to TUG for further
maintenance.
Outcome:
• About 60, 50,716 cum of desolation was done
in about 454 tanks in both 1st and 2nd phases,
helping in recharge of underground water in the
open wells and bore wells in the surrounding area.
• About 1,24,950 local indigenous plant species like
Honge, Neem, Bamboo, Tamarind, Neale, Karijali,
Jatropha, Accacia, etc planted in the foreshore of
tank bed
• 1,52,940 numbers of seedlings supplied to TUG
farmers for plantation in the catchments of tanks
resulting in minimizing erosion of soil on the
catchments and tank bed foreshore.
• Total of 454 tanks rejuvenated as per the 1st and
2nd phase programs.
1
For more information please contact: M Madan Gopal, Executive Director, Jal Samvardhan Yojana Sangha. Email: jsys@vsnl.net COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 5
NEERU-CHETTU PROGRAM
(ANDHRA PRADESH)
Place of Implementation: Andhra Pradesh
Organization: Government of Andhra
Pradesh
Year of Implementation: 2015
Background:
• Groundwater levels are depleted to a
depth of 1000 feet below ground level in
most of the areas.
• Lack of assured water supply for
irrigation, drinking, and industrial
purposes.
• Need for scientific management of water
resources to ensure more crops per drop
of water.
• Neeru-Chettu program was implemented
to improve water conservation and
management in the State with peoples’
participation to make the state
droughtproof.
Objective:
• Increase overall green cover in state
and ensure 33% forest cover against the
current 25%
• Maintain groundwater levels at a safe
zone (between 3-8 metres).
• Reduce the gap ayacut under Major,
Medium, and Minor irrigation projects by
providing assured water up to tail-end
areas
COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0
5 COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 6
Intervention:
• De-silting of minor irrigation tanks and
feeder channels.
• Repairs and renovation of existing
water harvesting structures.
• Construction of check dams,
percolation tanks, farm ponds.
• Arresting the soil erosion by following
the ridge to valley approach.
• Development of cascades i.e. chain
of tanks to divert water from surplus
basin to deficit basin using latest
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
and satellite technology.
• Encouraging micro irrigation on large
scale and mobile micro irrigation
practices in severe water scarce areas.
• Massive afforestation and soil moisture
conservation works and rising of
nurseries by the Forest Department.
• The silt generated during the de-silting
works was allowed to be transported by
the local farmers by deploying tractors
at their own cost for application of silt
to agricultural fields.
Outcomes:
• Improvement in ground water levels in
Rayalaseema region due to the works
taken up under Neeru–Chettu.
• A total of 126477 structure repaired.
• 86 Lift irrigation schemes revived.
• Block plantation in 3726 ha area, 13.92
lakh nurseries raised and 315 seedlings
distributed.
• Quantity of water increased by
desilting and taking up construction
and repairing structures is 10.38
Thousand Million Cubic feet (TMC).
• Impounding capacity of tanks
increased by 4.79 TMC
• Total ayacut stabilized by desilting and
repair works is 180791 acres.
2
https://irrigationap.cgg.gov.in/wrd/neeruchettu COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 7
SUJALAM SUFALAM JAL
ABHIYAN (GUJARAT)
Place of Implementation: Gujarat
Organization: Government of Gujarat
Year of Implementation: 2018
Background:
Gujarat has 6% of total geographical area of
India but 12.36% of water stressed area of
India. 58.6% of total area of Gujarat is subject
to water stress due to arid, semi-arid and
saline conditions. To address this challenge,
Government of Gujarat launched a water
conservation scheme Sujalam Sufalam Jal
Sanchay Abhiyan which aimed to enhance
the capacity of dams, ponds, canals, and
contour trenches by desilting and deepening
them.
Objectives:
• Deepen 13,000 reservoirs to increase
their capacity and store rainwater
before monsoon. Other objectives of the
scheme were:
• Strengthen irrigation facilities and
enhance agricultural productivity
• Revitalise about 32 rivers having length
of about 340 kilometres across 30
districts.
• Conduct cleaning drive for canals of
5,400 kilometres.
Intervention:
• Deeping of ponds, tanks, check dams
and reservoirs. COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 8
• Cleaning of rivers, drains canals, irrigation
structures and drinking water sources.
• Construction of check dams, new ponds,
Khet Talavadi, and Van Talav.
Outcomes:
• Around 13,000 ponds and check-dams
desilted and 32 rivers rejuvenated, creating
an additional capacity of 11,000 lakh cubic
feet to store water when the rain arrives.
• 6,170 lakes cleaned and deepened.
• 8,107 check-dams and 462 reservoirs
cleaned.
• 568 new lakes and 1,079 new check-dams
built.
• The water harvesting capacity of the state
of Gujarat increased by 42,064 lakh cubic
feet in three years (2018-2020)
• About 4000 excavator machines were
used to deepen the soil and districts.
• Soil excavated was given to the public free
of cost.
3
https://guj-nwrws.gujarat.gov.in/showpage.aspx?contentid=1473&lang=english “ COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 9
Place of implementation: Rajasthan
Organization: Government of Rajasthan
Year of Implementation: 2016
Background:
The annual rainfall in Rajasthan is 100 mm
in dry hot West to 900 mm in South East.
Generally, out of five years, 3 years are drought-
affected means untimely, uncertain & varied
distribution of rainfall. This leads to unstable
crop production. A large part of the rainfall
also goes waste due to the high intensity of
rainfall in small time. Proper utilization of runoff
does not take place due to the lack of Water
Harvesting Structures in the watershed area
results in a continuous decline in the water level
of the wells.
Objectives:
• Making the village self-sufficient in terms of
drinking water.
• Increase the level of groundwater table and
strengthen watershed.
• Increase the area under irrigation and
cultivation through water harvesting &
conservation.
• Enhance crop production and productivity.
• People’s participation in designing and
implementing projects.
Intervention:
• Mukhyamantri Jal Swavlamban Abhiyan
MUKHYAMANTRI JAL SWAVLAMBAN
ABHIYAN (RAJASTHAN) COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 10
(MJSA) works upon Four Waters Concept. It
revolves around the harvesting of available runoff
(rainwater, ground water, underground water & in
situ soil moisture) in rural areas by treatment of
catchment water, proper utilization of available
water harvesting structures, renovation of the
non-functional water harvesting structures &
creation of new water harvesting structures.
• It uses low-cost technology, to increase
groundwater recharge by four times and
offers thrice the benefit than other any other
conventional mode.
• MJSA also adopted the concept of Water
Budgeting in Gram Sabhas wherein after
determination water use in drinking, irrigation,
livestock & other commercial purposes is
determined to prepare a water budget.
Accordingly, works were identified and
approved for the preparation of action plan of
the mission.
Outcome:
• This scheme has resulted in an increase of 4%
in groundwater level that helped agriculture
and irrigation.
• Improved the problem of soil erosion and
fertility which resulted in more production.
• Supplied water to 4.1 million people and 4.5
million animals which decreased the death
due to water scarcity.
4 https://sarkariyojana.com/mukhyamantri-jal-swavlamban-abhiyan-mjsa-rajasthan COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 11
Place of implementation: Odisha
Organization: Govt. of Odisha
Year of Implementation: 2020
Background:
Drinking Water Supply in Urban Odisha had
been facing severe challenges since decades
and the water supply infrastructure could
not cope up with the pace of increasing
urbanization.
Water supply challenges like poor service
coverage, poor water quality, intermittent
supply and high-water losses needed to be
addressed and solve perennial water woes.
Objectives:
• Drink pure water straight from the Tap:
Conversion of intermittent water supply
systems to continuous (24x7) water
supply systems
• Equitable, sustainable and people-centric
service provision with focus on the urban
poor.
• Water Supply Management through
Community Partnership (Self Help
Groups) – “Jalsaathi”
• 100% coverage of households with piped
drinking water of good quality as per
recommended standards.
• 100% metering of house connections to
eliminate non-revenue water (NRW) due
to leakages and wastage for full cost
recovery.
Intervention:
• Adoption of innovative, state-of-the-art
technology & management techniques,
DRINK FROM TAP MISSION (24X7
WATER SUPPLY) - ( ODISHA) COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 12
both during construction and operation &
maintenance.w
• Quality Assurance through Third Party Quality
Monitoring & Public Private Partnership
(PPP) Laboratories.
• Government of Odisha implemented
enabling policy interventions: 1) Right to
water 2) Execution of connections by Public
health Engineering Department (PHED)
or Water Corporation of Odhisa (WATCO)
as public works 3) Household need not
bother to obtain road cutting permission for
connection 4) Easy instalment on connection
charges 5) Explicit component of community
participation now with 100% coverage.
• Relaxed house connection norms for the
poor which are as below: 1) Water connection
with indemnity bond 2) Waiver of connection
fee 3) Providing house connection with two
taps at Govt. cost under AMRUT for the
slums 4) Covering all uncovered slums under
Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban
Transformation (AMRUT) 5) Shift from hand
pump, tube wells to Piped Water Supply.
• Activities for reduction of NRW were taken
on a mission mode.
• Awlmost all house connection ferrules
replaced with saddle and compression
fittings.
• NRW equipments procured and continuous
training of staff for carrying out NRW
activities
Outcome:
• 100% household level coverage achieved.
• The consumers have water in their taps
round the clock directly coming from the
public distribution network.
• Absence of the need for personal storage of
water (sump).
• Lifting the water to roof level storage tanks
as well as need of installation of further
treatment/filtration systems at home such as
Reverse Osmosis (RO) is eliminated.
• 100% metering and volumetric billing have
helped to reduce the leakages and wastages
in water supplies.
• Quick resolution of issues and complaints of
the consumers enhanced the confidence of
the public/communities in WATCO.
• Jalsathis helped in transformation of field
situation with enhanced confidence of the
people in public water supply system.
• Each Jalsathi’s woman is earning between
Rs. 10,000/- to Rs. 12,000/- per month as
incentives.
• NRW rate was more than 50% which affected
the sustainability of 24x7 Water Supply was
reduced to 15%.
5
https://mohua.gov.in/pdf/624eb41e1f6e6Drink-from-Tap-Mission-A-case-study-of-24x7-Water-Supply-in-Puri-city.pdf” COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 13
Place of Implementation: Madhya Pradesh
Organization: Government of Madhya
Pradesh
Year of Implementation: 2008
Background:
The Kapildhara Yojana by the state of
Madhya Pradesh is a unique scheme under
the MGNREGA program to develop irrigation
facilities on private land of small and marginal
farmers, through the construction of dug
wells, farms ponds, check dams, etc.
Objectives:
• The program focuses on providing
financial support to landholders without
access to irrigation facilities and prioritizes
marginalized communities to maximize
impact.
• The program has contributed to improved
productivity, intensity, and diversity
of crop production in the region and
generated livelihood sources.
Interventions:
• Under Kapildhara Yojana of Mahatma
Gandhi National Rural Employment
Guarantee Act (MNREGA), the wells were
constructed to help them irrigate their
land.
• Scheme is implemented on the private
lands of beneficiaries, Nandan Falodyan
for horticulture development, Bhumishilp
KAPILDHARA YOJANA
(MADHYA PRADESH) COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 14
for land reform.
• Target of constructing 2.5 lakh Kapildhara
wells in the next five years was set to make
irrigation facilities available to the poor and
needy farmers.
Outcomes:
• More than 3 lakh 57 thousand and 522
Kapildhara wells have so far been constructed
on the unirrigated land of poor farmers.
• With this nearly 4 lakh 74 thousand- and
425-hectare unirrigated area has turned into
the irrigated area.
• Construction of Kapildhara wells made the
lands fertile and different kinds of food
grains, fruits, and vegetables were grown.
6
http://aiggpa.mp.gov.in/uploads/project/Kapil_Dhara_Yojana.pdf COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 15
Place of Implementation: Narayanpur Dam,
Karnataka
Organization: Government of Karnataka
Year of Implementation: 2014
Background:
• Narayanpur Dam is located on Krishna
River near Bachihal and Siddapur village
of Bijapur District of Karnataka state. This
reservoir caters to the irrigation needs of
a very vast area of about 4.5 lakh hectares.
• The reservoir supplies water to
Narayanpur Left Bank canal (NLBC) which
is the biggest and the main artery of canal
network about 77 Kms have designed to
discharge of 10,000 cusecs.
• Identified issues in the NLBC irrigation
system:
• Lack of proper water regulatory system
within the NLBC network.
• Inadequate manpower for canal operation
and maintenance.
• Fixed flow structure and manual control
of the gates resulted in wastage of
water, inaccuracies and uncertainties
in measurement and poor emergency
response within the canal network
system.
• Inequitable regulations between
upstream & tail end water users, hence,
tail end users have not been able to
AUTOMATION OF IRRIGATION
SYSTEM: NARAYANPUR LEFT BANK
CANAL SYSTEM (KARNATAKA) COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 16
receive water.
• The farmers were unable to access
information about water availability,
plan crops, and commodity prices.
• No Geographic Information Systems
(GIS) based information about
command area about soil health, crops,
water demand and allocation, weather,
contours etc.
Objective:
• To automate the Narayanpur left canal
system and increase water use efficiency.
Interventions:
• More than 4,000 automated control and
regulating gates were installed.
• Sophisticated software and
communication infrastructure to manage
the delivery of water to farmers, located
along approximately 1,500km of canals.
• Irrigation scheduled is made available on
farmer dashboard.
• Solar powered integrated gates were
installed having following components.
(a) accurate gate control system,
(b) accurate gate measurement system
(c) flow measurement device
(d) u/s and d/s water level measurement
system
(e) wireless communication system
(f) self-sufficient solar based power supply
system
(g) CCTV cameras.
• At Narayanpur, there is a master Very
Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT)
transmitter and receiver equipments
and it is connected to all Master Data
collection stations by VSAT. It gives bi-
directional communication within the
system.
Outcome:
• First time in the history of NLBC, water
delivered to the tail end users suffering
atchkut area.
• Increased and optimized the water use
efficiency with in the network and reduce
water loss.
• Single room control for canal operation.
• Efficient water distribution among the
farmers/stake holders in command area.
• Increased irrigated area and agriculture
production till tail end and command
Area.
• Online water demand, water billing &
revenue generation reduced cost of
paperwork and process improvement.
• Instantaneous decision-making system
and reduction and elimination of manmade
errors.
• Reduction in operational costs and
maintenance requirements.
7
https://pmksy-mowr.nic.in/aibp-mis/Manual/SCADA-Narayanapur%20Left%20bank%20Canal,%20Karnataka.pdf COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 17
Place of Implementation: Maharashtra
Organization: Government of Maharashtra
Year of Implementation: 2015-16
Background:
Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan (JSA) is a flagship
program of the Government of Maharashtra
launched to provide long-term and
sustainable solutions to the water scarcity
problem faced by rural communities. The
program involved geotagging of water
bodies and the use of a mobile application to
enable web-based monitoring.
Objective:
• The Maharashtra government launched
the Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyaan in 2015-16
with the mission to make Maharashtra
drought-free by 2019, and an aim of
making 5000 villages water scarcity free,
every year.
• Focus areas under the program include
deepening and widening of streams,
construction of cement and earthen stop
dams, work on nullahs, and digging of
farm ponds.
• Increase ground water level in drought
areas, and to create, to create new
structure of water conservations.
• Sanitize the concept of water budgeting
and arrest maximum runoff in the village
areas.
JALYUKT SHIVAR ABHIYAN
(MAHARASHTRA) COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 18
• Create awareness and encourage farmers
regarding efficient water use in farming.
Intervention:
• Planning-based integrated framework
to address both the drinking water and
irrigation water demands of communities.
• Building and repairing water harvesting
structures such as continuous contour
trench, cement Nala bund, earthen Nala
bund, loose boulder structures, farm ponds,
and agricultural interventions (horticulture
plots, terracing, etc.)
• Decentralized water bodies were installed at
various locations within villages to enhance
the groundwater recharge.
• Mobile application was developed by
Maharashtra Remote Sensing Application
Centre (MRSAC) for monitoring of the
scheme.
Outcome:
• 11,000 villages declared drought-free and
agricultural productivity has increased by
30-50%.
• Increase in water storage capacity.
• Recharge of ground water level by 1.5 - 2 m
8
http://mrsac.maharashtra.gov.in/jalyukt/ COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 19
WATERSHED
DEVELOPMENT COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 20
Reversing Salinity in
Saurashtra - Ambuja
Cement Foundation
Rejuvenation of Dam for
Augmentation of Water Use
- Green Thumb supported by
Bombay Engineering Group
Diversion Based Irrigation
System - Aga Khan Rural
Support Programme
Clean and Safe Drinking
Water- Govt. of Odhisa
Neknampur Lake
Restoration - Dhruvansh
organization COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 21
Place of Implementation: Kodinar, Saurashtra
Organization: Ambuja Cement Foundation
(ACF)
Year of Implementation: Since 1998
Background:
• Increasing pressure from economic activities
had caused considerable depletion of
groundwater. In particular, the introduction
of water pumps in the agricultural industry
resulted in a massive exploitation of
underground aquifers to extract water for
crops.
• Coupled with erratic and reduced rainfall,
the natural groundwater table decreased
and saline water from the sea seeped in
contaminating water and making it unfit for
consumption for irrigation.
• Advancing at an unprecedented rate of half
a km a year along the 1125 km long coastline
of Saurashtra, salinity exposed lakhs of
people to risk. The coastline reached 15
km in 1998 and consequently the Total
Dissolved Solids (TDS) were more than 400
mg/l. This situation was further aggravated
by recurring droughts in 1990’s in the area.
Objective: To prevent salinity ingress and
ensure sustainable water supply for drinking
and irrigation purposes through effective
water resource management interventions..
Intervention:
REVERSING SALINITY IN
SAURASHTRA COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 22
• ACF adopted a holistic approach to address
salinity from the supply side as well as
demand side.
• The model approach involved the following
initiatives to tackle salinity:
• Infrastructure development for drinking
water supply: ACF promoted investment in
household rain water harvesting systems.
they also installed water distribution
systems in villages that transported water
from centralized well to decentralized taps
in the community.
• Infrastructure development to increase
water harvesting and groundwater
recharge: ACF built check dams, community
ponds and constructed long interlinking
canals to join streams with village water
ponds. ACF converted mined-out pits to
artificial lakes and reservoirs by diverting
surface water run-off into the pits.
• Education and knowledge impartment :
ACF raised the issue of salinity aiming
the community, conducted trainings with
farmers in micro irrigation and encouuraged
growing salinity on the community and
resistant crop varieties.
• Technology: ACF promoted modern
technologies such as micro irrigation,
mulching and use of saline resistant crop
varieties (KRL19 wheat) which can be
grown in high TDS areas as well.
• People’s institutions: Village Watershed
Committees, Farmers Producer Companies,
Drinking Water & Sanitation Committees
were also constituted to drive local
solutions.
Outcome
The above interventions led to the following
macro impacts:
• 38.79 mcm of additional water
• 22% increase in agricultural productivity
• 227 check dams
• 69.26 km interlinking canals
• 119 ponds rejuvenated
• Around 4000 rainwater harvesting systems
installed.
• 70 drinking water distribution systems
9
htpps://www.ambujacementfoundation.org/uploads/ACF-Partnering-to-reverse-the-tide-edited.pdf COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 23
Place of implementation: Khadakwasla Dam,
Pune
Organization: Green Thumb supported
by Bombay Engineering Group, Southern
Command
Year of implementation: 2014
Background:
The storage capacity of Khadakwasla dam
has reduced significantly to 2.90 TMC from
3.75 TMC due to siltation. The silt which
ran down from the catchment area formed
numerous islands in the lake on which the
cattle used to graze. Silt deposit reduced the
size of the lake and therefore after the first
rains, the lake used to get filled up and during
the consequent rains, the dam overflowed
downstream causing floods. Dumping of
construction material, debris and garbage
around and in the reservoir was also another
cause of reduction in dam’s storage capacity.
To increase the water holding capacity there
were three options viz. increasing the dam’s
height, build new dam or rejuvenation of
existing dam.
Objective: To rejuvenate the dam and increase
its water holding capacity
Intervention:
• The first two options were not feasible
from the ecological and economical
aspects and thus, desilting was carried
out to rejuvenate the dam. Removal of
silt from the dam was the only faster and
cost-effective way.
• Primitive methods were adopted by using
JCBS, dozer, grader, poclain, dumper
truck & tippers to remove the silt. The silt
REJUVENATION OF
KHADAKWASLA DAM FOR
AUGMENTATION OF WATER USE COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 24
is then pitched & bunded on the periphery of
the lake, excess silt is distributed off free to
locals & farmers.
• Large scale tree (approx. 10 lakh trees) &
grass plantation to avoid soil erosion.
• Proper landscaping to beautify the area.
• Fencing of the entire stretch to protect the
water from stray cattle and people.
• Propagation of endemic flora including rare
and endangered species by mostly planting
indigenous trees & grass.
• Citizen awareness created with the help of
print media, radio and television presentation
on a large scale.
• In-site conservation of bio-diversity is
promoted by taking stock of local flora &
fauna.
Outcome:
• Removal of more than 15 lakh truckload of
silt till Jan, 2019 leading to enhanced water
holding capacity by 0.2 TMC. To build a dam
of the same capacity, massive investment of
500-700 crores would have been required.
• The total area desilted was 75 lakhs cubic
meter.
• Approx. 5 lakh trees planted to avoid
further siltation into the dam, benefitting
the overall growth into the ‘Green Cover’ for
the country.
• Encroachments by village goons and cattle
sheds removed and replaced by gazebo
huts for visitors.
• Additional source of income was generated
for farmers through ‘fish farming’. Landless
farmers were provided with a viable
business opportunity by Green Thumb
desilting initiative as it enhanced the water
capacity of the reservoir giving birth to
fishing culture.
11
https://greenthumb.in/khadakwasla-dam-rejuvenation/ COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 25
Place of implementation: Barwani and
Khargone districts located in Nimar region of
Madhya Pradesh
Organization: Aga Khan Rural Support
Programme
Year of Implementation: 2016
Background:
The topography is undulating, hilly and
mountainous with abundance of seasonal
and perennial streams. Only 36% of the
net sown area in Barwani is irrigated, while
56% of net sown area in Khargone district
is irrigated. Most agricultural land is rainfed
and cultivation is undertaken for Kharif
crop only. Migration for the rest of the year
for livelihoods to Gujarat and Maharashtra
is common. Groundwater extraction was
greater than 65%, indicating moderate
overextraction. The districts lack natural
replenishment of the groundwater, because
of low and moderate permeability of the
deccan traps. There is a crucial need to shift
to surface water and rain-water usage for
irrigation purposes.
Intervention:
Aga Khan Rural Support Program(I)
(AKRSP) initiated work on first Diversion
Based Irrigation System (DBI) in 2016, as the
undulating topography offered good scope
for development of gravity-flow irrigation
systems. An expert in DBI systems took up
DIVERSION BASED IRRIGATION
SYSTEM COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 26
the initiative to set up the first DBI in
Barwani district. Previous DBI systems
have been successfully operationalized
DBIs in Kalahandi, Odisha and Udaipur,
Rajasthan.
Outcome:
• Over the last 6 years, 13 DBI
systems have been operationalized
bringing 111 ha of land under
irrigation coverage and benefitted
93 farmers.
• The cost of implementation comes
to Rs.300 per running meter.
• An average DBI system is around
800-1000 metres long and provides
irrigation to 5-10 ha of land, thus
benefitting 5-8 tribal farmers.
11
https://www.axisbankfoundation.org/download/knowledge-corner/Compendium_Best%20practices%20in%20water%20management.pdf
Diversion Based Irrigation Systems (Phad Irrigation
System)
Diversion of water from a river or stream through
construction of bandharas into a small canal taking
off from the upstream side of the bandhara.
The water is then supplied to phads or small blocks
of land. Each phad has a number of agricultural plots
belonging to different cultivators. To optimize the
traditional phad irrigation system, the implementing
agencies/NGO have improved upon the ancient
practice.
A small storage tank is built across the stream. Water
is then transferred via pipelines and valved outlets
to beneficiary farmers. This reduces transmission
losses of water and increases the life of the system
as compared to the traditional earthen channels,
which need frequent repair and maintenance. COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 27
Place of Implementation: Nuapada district in
Odhisa
Organization: Jal Jeevan Mission, Govt. of
Odhisa
Year of Implementation: 2019
Background:
Over-extraction of groundwater in Nuapada
district of western Odisha has resulted in
increased concentrations of natural fluoride
in groundwater (as high as 4.95 milligrams
per litre). This led to unavailability of clean
and safe water in the village. In the absence
of alternative sources of drinking water,
villagers were forced to drink groundwater,
which led to serious health threats like
fluorosis and kidney failure. Villagers spent
almost 50-60 % of their earnings in health-
related issues.
Objectives:
Provide access to clean and safe drinking
water in Odhisa.
Interventions:
Source of drinking water was changed from
groundwater to surface water. Two major
schemes were implemented in the district
under the Jal Jeevan Mission. The Lower
Indira dam and Jonk river dam have become
potential sources of drinking water for the
village. Stored water from the dam reservoir
was collected in intake wells and transported
CLEAN AND SAFE DRINKING
WATER IN ODHISA COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 28
to water treatment plants. Water is then purified
to drinking standard here and transferred to
overhead tanks in different villages.
Outcomes:
• Potable water in villages through functional
taps.
• Fall in kidney failure cases by 30 per cent,
and no new cases in the last one year.
• Field testing kits provided to villages, where
trained women representatives of the Village
Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs)
test the water for potability and report to
district water-testing laboratories.
• Village Water and Sanitation Committees
(VWSCs) formed in all the villages of the
district.
• Series of capacity-building programmes
were conducted
12
https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/water/world-water-day-2023-nuapada-switched-to-surface-from-ground-sources-to-solve-its-problems-
of-quality-and-quantity-88378 COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 29
Place of Implementation: Neknampur Lake,
Hyderabad (Telangana)
Organization: Dhruvansh organization
Year of Implementation: 2016
Background:
Neknampur lake with area of 25 acres of lake
was contaminated with garbage, sewage,
water hyacinth, cultural siltation and debris
dumping. Encroachment issues plus a
legacy garbage dumped place of Manikonda
Municipality in Hyderabad became a serious
cause of concern.
Objective:
• Restoration of lake and biodiversity
• Increase in water retention capacity
• Create a recreational place
• Biological STP model installation at lake
Intervention:
• Phytoremediation & bioremediation to
purify water in lake.
• Desilting of lake.
• Floating treatment wetlands installation &
their maintenance at lake.
• Ecological beds establishment at lake.
• Solar Floating Aerators at lake to make
lake energy free.
• Floating Bikes at lake to remove floating
NEKNAMPUR LAKE
RESTORATION - DHRUVANSH
ORGANIZATION COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 30
garbage at lake.
• Biodiversity register of lake.
• Protection of Pythons, monitor lizards &
turtles from poachers.
• Stopping of Invasive species in lake water
like catfish & red-eared terrapin.
• Conducting Cultural programs at lake for
Cultural rejuvenation of lake.
• Immersion pond at lake for separate
festival celebrations at lake.
• More than one lakh plantation at lake
which includes native species & medicinal
plants
Outcome:
• 90% reduction in BOD of the lake due
to constant maintenance of treatment
system. Neknampur lake water analysis
parameters are available on TSPCB webite
for every month.
• Beautiful lake with no smell or odor
though sewage is still coming into lake.
• Water hyacinth still in lake but never
covered the lake.
• Recreational place for Community.
• Lake rejuvenation & Community
rejuvenation going parallelly.
13
https://www.equatorinitiative.org/2020/04/24/solution11006/.
For more details please contact Dhruvansh Oganization at info@dhruvansh.org COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 31
SMART WATER
INFRASTRUCTURE COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 32
Improving water services through smart
metering in The Republic of Korea - Korea
Water Resources Corporation
Using satellites for better
irrigation - Australia
Sponge city initiative -
People’s Republic of China
Community-based Stormwater Smartgrids:
Distributed AI/IoT Rain Harvesting Networks for
Flood and Drought Resilience- Raingrid COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 33
Place of Implementation: Cha – ri Village,
Seosan City, Republic of Korea
Organization: Seosan city government,
K-water (Korea Water Resources Corporation)
Year of Implementation: 2016
Background:
Cha- ri a small village operated by two
district metered areas located in Seosan City
of South Korea faced several water losses
due to deterioration of water pipes. Seosan
city has relatively low rate of non-revenue
water, except one of its village Cha-ri which
has high rate of non-revenue water at 32%
in 2015. Due to drought situation in 2015, it
was difficult to identify and reduce water
loss in a wide supply area. To detect and
reduce water leak Kapilage, Sesoan City and
K-Water installed smart metering system to
understand and cope with drought situation.
Objective:
• To detect water loss and reduce rate of
non-revenue water, leakage from burst
pipes and improve customer satisfaction
in Cha-ri village.
Interventions:
• Seosan city and K- Water Installed Smart
water meters in region.
• Created nine sub district metered area
systems withing two district metered
areas.
IMPROVING WATER SERVICES
THROUGH SMART METERING IN
THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 34
• Non-revenue water analysis was
conducted on daily basis to understand
and detect leakage.
• Water monitoring systems was expanded
to 12 branches.
• Customer satisfaction evaluated by smart
phones.
Outcome:
• Difference of 430 cubic meters per day
was found between the flow rate in the
district metered areas and the total flow
rate of the water supply area in the Cha-ri.
• Increase in flexibility in managing
response time to address complaints of
failure in service.
• Rate of non-revenue water decreased
from 32% to 10% after installation of smart
water systems.
• Control system allowed for the analysis of
customer usage patterns, which resulted
in 55% reduction in customers water
usage and 70% reduction in cost to the
customer.
15
https://development.asia/case-study/improving-water-service-through-smart-metering COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 35
Place of Implementation: Australia
Organization:
IrriSAT app was created by Mr. John
Hornbuckle, Jamie Vleeshouwer and Dr.
Janelle Montgomery.The app was awarded
as ‘Best technology’ in the WatSave Annual
Awards 2018 in Australia.
Year of Implementation: 2019
Background:
Traditional methods of collecting data such
as manual measurements or ground-based
surveys can be time-consuming and labor-
intensive. Moreover, these irrigation systems
often rely on fixed schedules or manual
observation, which may lead to overwatering
or under watering of crops. Without accurate
information on crop water requirements and
environmental conditions, farmers struggle
to determine the optimal timing and duration
of irrigation. Drought conditions and limited
water availability pose additional challenges
to agricultural productivity. Weather-based
irrigation management systems can help
mitigate the impact of drought by adjusting
irrigation schedules based on forecasted
weather conditions.
Objective: Use of remote sensing to increase
irrigation efficiency and crop productivity
Intervention:
• IrriSAT is a weather-based irrigation
management app developed in Australia.
USING SATELLITES FOR BETTER
IRRIGATION COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 36
It uses remote sensing to provide
site specific crop water management
information across large spatial scales at
fine resolution.
• Developed using Google Earth Engine,
this app delivers crop water use and
information to assist in irrigation
scheduling and crop productivity
benchmarking.
Outcome:
• IrriSAT users reported water savings from
using tool in several ways:
• Modifying irrigation timing to better
match crop water demands.
• Better predicting coming climate events
and modifying irrigation schedules /
deficits to minimize impacts on crop.
• Identifying poorer performing areas
within irrigated crops and changing
management i.e. laser levelling.
• Benchmarking performance of irrigated
fields across farms and regions and
using limited water resources on better
performing fields.
1 6
https://irrisat-cloud.appspot.com/doc/IrriSAT_QuickGuide_20052016.pdf COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 37
Place of Implementation: China
Organization: People’s Republic of China
Year of Implementation: 2014
Background:
Urbanization and industrialization along
with opening-up policies since 1978 led to
rapid economic and urban growth in the
Performance Reference Compound (PRC),
with an urbanization rate of 64.7% (2021).
The PRC faced significant flooding across
the country that killed 397 people, affected
14.3 million people, and caused $21.8 billion
in economic losses. Building vast concrete
barriers and covering all permeable surfaces
is not sustainable and instead cities should
adopt nature-based solutions to flooding.
Sponge cities is one such solution that allows
urban areas to absorb water in times of high
rainfall and release it in times of drought.
Objectives:
• To adopt low impact developments
concept which improve effective control
of urban peak runoff, and temporarily
store, recycle and purify stormwater.
• To integrate systems of Blue-Green-Grey
infrastructure.
• It also focuses on upgrading traditional
drainage systems by constructing
underground water storage tanks and
tunnels, and integrating natural water
SPONGE CITY INITIATIVE:
SUSTAINABLE URBAN WATER
MANAGEMENT COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 38
bodies.
Interventions:
• China has implemented a comprehensive
solution. They have combined low
impact development methods with grey
infrastructures, large scale flood control
projects and rehabilitation.
• Indicators like control rate of annual runoff
volume (CRARV), wastewater reuse rate,
rainwater reuse rate, groundwater table,
pluvial flood control and prevention
ability were used to identify performance
assessment on flood control, aquatic
environments, water resources, water
security and other aspects.
• Greenways development for controlling
the volume of stormwater runoff.
• Reconstruction of pervious pavement
and pipelines
• Artificial wetlands, artificial ponds and
artificial soil infiltration are all used to
purify and retain rainwater runoff at the
end of catchments.
• Restored riverside wetlands and gentle
green slopes along the river to reduce
flood risk.
• Sponge city infrastructure like rain
gardens and bioswales integrated with
drainage pipe network improvements
Outcome:
• After implementing Sponge city program
Shenzhen now has a high-density
greenway network that totals over 2,300
kilometers in length, including green
transport corridors, forests, and parks
varying in width from under 3 m to over
100 m.
• Sponge city program eliminated flooding
in six areas, eliminated pollution in seven
river branches, and reduced the urban
heat island effect.
17
https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/838386/adb-brief-222-sponge-cities-prc.pdf “ COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 39
Place of Implementation: Canada
Organization: Raingrid
Year of Implementation: 2015
Background:
• Canada is committed to sustainable storm
water management as by increasing
permeable surfaces through water
sensitive urban design like bioswales,
raingardens and permeable paving, they
also invest in collecting storm water.
At the individual and property level
rain tanks are promoted to collect and
measure rain water runoff.
• But there are various problems at
property-based rain harvesting and
land-based infiltration systems, where it
is difficult to measure storing capacity,
if system is already storing past storm
water.
• To address this issue Raingrid stormwater
Smart grid was developed using Artificial
Intelligence and IoT system. The purpose
of AI is to determine how much rain fall
will runoff from roof of the household
given predicted rainfall wherease IoT
system is used to capture, filter and
stores it in suitably sized cistern. on-
board sensors calculate temperature,
barometric pressure and rooftop runoff
retained in the cistern.
• AI also predicts property by property
COMMUNITY-BASED STORMWATER
SMARTGRIDS: DISTRIBUTED AI/IOT
RAIN HARVESTING NETWORKS FOR
FLOOD AND DROUGHT RESILIENCE COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 40
basis when the next rainfall is likely to
come, and to consequently empty cisterns
to provide appropriate storage to ensure
practically zero stormwater runoff from the
rooftops that constitute the majority of urban
impermeable area.
Objective:
• Flood Prevention
• Weather prediction through AI and IoT
• Reducing need for piped stormwater
management
Intervention:
• RainGrid’s Residential Stormwater Smartgrid
Utility Technology (RSSUT) is a smart water
management technology designed to capture
rain runoff from rooftops.
• The RainGrid system consists of: individual
property cisterns, an artificial intelligent
cloudbased weather algorithm, localized
sensors, and electrically actuated drainage
for harvested water reuse either within or
exterior to the building envelope. A basic
RainGrid System offers two stage primary
filtration and storage in either above or below
ground cisterns.
• Primary goal of taking rooftops offline from
the storm sewer system, with a secondary goal
of providing harvested water for groundwater
recharge, potable or non-potable uses.
• RainGrid offers real-time rainfall/diversion
data visualisation and micro-climate analytics
on an individual property and network wide
aggregation.
• IoT system has sensors for temperature,
barometric pressure, and cistern level, and an
electrically actuated valve for drainage.
Outcomes:
• Stormwater Smartgrid system successfully
reduces 90% rain water runoff size of the
cistern serving the roof area.
• Stormwater Smartgrid system is capable of
retaining roughly 60% of all urban runoff as
system penetration rises from 20-80%.
• Because of the smart grid innovation, RainGrid
was designated by the Water Research
Foundation (WRF) Leaders Innovation Forum
for Technology (LIFT) as an Intelligent Water
System for demonstration adoption and
implementation by municipalities and utilities
in 2015.
18
https://www.iwra.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/9-SWM-Canada-Final.pdf COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 41
WASTEWATER
TREATMENT & REUSE COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 42
Growing tomatoes without
soil using vertical farming in
hydroponics- Sundrop Farms
Waterless dyeing technology
in textile processing - DELFT
University, DyeCoo, Tong Siang Co.
Reuse of treated water
in Arequipa, Peru - Cerro
Verde
Making Namakkal District of Tamil
Nadu Water secure - District
Administration of Tamil Nadu
Reuse of treated wastewater in
thermal power plant in Nagpur -
Nagpur Municipal Corporation
Watershed development in
Hyderabad to address water
scarcity COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 43
Place of Implementation: Port Augusta,
South Australia
Organization: Sundrop Farms
Year of Implementation: 2016
Background:
• The UN’s Food and Agricultural
Organization estimates that food
production levels need to be increased by
70% from 2007 levels by 2050 to feed a
projected world population of 9.7 billion.
• Due to reduced availability of land for
agriculture, efficient farming methods
have become a necessity.
• Sun Drop farms established in 2016, is one
of the leading tomato producers in barren
regions of Australia that grow tomatoes
with the help of sea water and sunlight.
Objectives:
• To produce crop with the help of sea water,
without soil in arid regions.
• To increase water usage efficiency in farms
and conserve more water.
• Use of vertical farming to achieve food
security
Interventions:
• Port Augusta farm is a 4.5-hectare
greenhouse, powered by a 51,500 m2
concentrated solar power plant consisting
of 23,000 mirrors directing the sun at a
127-metre-high tower weighing 234 tons.
GROWING TOMATOES WITHOUT
SOIL USING VERTICAL FARMING
IN HYDROPONICS COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 44
• The heat generated is used for three
processes: to keep 20 ha of greenhouses
at optimum temperature; to generate
electricity via a turbine to power farm
systems; and to desalinate seawater drawn
from the nearby Spencer Gulf.
• A vertical farming hydroponics facility is
established to grow tomatoes without soil.
• The desalination unit produces pure water
to irrigate the crops. The heat and carbon
dioxide keep the tomatoes in the optimum
atmosphere to facilitate year-round
photosynthesis.
Outcome:
• The farm produces one million liters of
fresh water every day by desalinating
seawater drawn from 3 km away.
• 7,000 tonnes of tomatoes a year i.e.15%
of Australia’s total crop was grown in arid
land.
• 1,80,000 of tomatoes were grown
hydroponically in stacks without soil.
• Saving of 2 million liters of diesel and
15,000 tons of CO2 when compared to
traditional farms.
19
https://irrisat-cloud.appspot.com/doc/IrriSAT_QuickGuide_20052016.pdf COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 45
Place of Implementation: Taiwan
Organization: DELFT University, DyeCoo and
Tong Siang Co.
Year of Implementation: 2012
Background:
• Conventional textile dyeing is highly water
intensive. It uses fresh water as solvent
generates highly polluted water that must
be treated extensively prior to discharge
into rivers.
• A new commercial scale technology
for dyeing synthetic fabric, DyeOx, was
implemented in Taiwan that utilizes carbon
dioxide (CO2) instead of water in the
dyeing process. This technology does not
require water or chemicals, and uses lesser
energy than in conventional processes.
• The technology was conceived at DELFT
University and commercialized by the
start-up DyeCoo and Tong Siang Co., a
dyehouse in Thailand.
Objective:
• To reduce withdrawal of waste water and
reduce consumption of freshwater in
textile industry.
• To improve water quality and increase net
basin benefit.
Intervention:
• Waterless dyeing technology utilizes
recycled CO2 in a semi closed loop dyeing
WATERLESS DYEING
TECHNOLOGY IN TEXTILE
PROCESSING COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 46
process for polyester fabrics. Nike Inc.
partnered with DyeCoo in 2012 to implement
waterless dyeing technology in four factories
in Taiwan.
• Two machines were installed that produce
9,20,000 kg of fabric per annum and
consumed less water.
Outcome:
• Elimination of chemical solvents
• Reduction in energy usage by 49%.
• Reduction in water withdrawals of 8256000
m3 when compared with conventional dyeing
methods.
• Waste water treatment resulted in zero
effluent discharge.
20
https://2030wrg.org/wpcontent/uploads/2022/01/72-D-Waterless-dying-technology-in-textile-processing.pdf COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 47
Place of Implementation: Arequipa, Peru
Organization: CerroVerde
Year of Implementation: 2016
Background:
• In 2008, more than 90 % of municipal
sewage and waste water from Arequipa
city in Peru was discharged directly into
the Chili River. Largest copper mine in Peru
Cerro Verde required access to additional
water supply to expand its operations.
• To meet the water needs a water resource
recovery facility called La Enlozada was
designed, financed, built, and operated
by Cerro Verde under a public-private
partnership (PPP) agreement.
Objective:
• To treat waste water and to improve Chili
water river quality.
• To reduce waterborne disease and advance
sustainable solutions to region’s water
supply and sanitation sector.
Intervention:
• La Enlozada was built on the grounds of
the Cerro Verde mining complex which
contains the wastewater collection
system, pumping station, and wastewater
treatment plant. Land was provided by
municipal authorities.
REUSE OF TREATED
WATER IN AREQUIPA,
PERU COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 48
• Cerro Verde committed to finance in exchange
of providing water resource recovery
facilities. Cerro Verde would receive a
percentage of the treated water to be used
for mining processes. The rest of the treated
wastewater would be returned to the river,
to be used by farmers downstream.
Outcomes:
• The city of Arequipa is benefitting from
wastewater treatment at no cost to the
taxpayer. Wastewater treatment coverage
has increased. More than 95 percent of the
city’s wastewater is treated.
• Enhanced water quality of Chili River
boosted biodiversity in river.
• The Chili River was rehabilitated, and
incidents of waterborne illness reduced.
• Farmers use improved quality of treated
water for irrigation for crops.
21
https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/fr/919231576609000366/pdf/Wastewater-From-Waste-to-Resource-The-Case-of-Arequipa-Peru.
pdf COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 49
Place of Implementation: Namakkal District
of Tamil Nadu
Organization: District administration in five
municipalities, 19 town panchayats and
322 village Panchayats across the district
Year of Implementation: 2022
Objective: Address water scarcity in
Namakkal district and make it water
secure.
Background:
Before 2022, Namakkal district of Tamil Nadu
was facing severe water scarcity. To deal with
water scarcity five municipalities of district
administration, 19 town panchayats and 322
panchayats across the district implemented
several water conservation activities, rain
water harvesting, lakes, rivers, springs
protection and reconstruction works
Interventions:
• To capture rainwater and replenish the
groundwater table rooftop collection
systems, percolation tanks and check
dams were constructed.
• Artificial recharge structures were
constructed for recharging groundwater.
• Around 685 individual farm ponds, 530
community farm ponds, 113 recharge shafts
and 105 check dams were constructed
across the district.
• Encroachments spread along the
NAMAKKAL DISTRICT
OF TAMIL NADU BECAME
WATER SECURED COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 50
waterbodies were removed across the district.
• Data acquisition systems were implemented
to effectively monitor and control water
supply networks.
Outcome:
• 49 tanks and 1400 kms of minor streams,
rivers were rejuvenated.
• Encroachments spread over 110 acres along
waterbodies across the district were removed.
• Sewerage network of around 24.72 km was
created.
• Sewerage cleaning over a length of 500 km
was undertaken.
• Recharge of aquifer significantly reduced
reliance on unsustainable sources.
• Advanced technologies enable the
administration to detect leaks, reduce system
losses, optimise water distribution.
• With implemented strategies Namakkal
became second best district in India in terms
of groundwater availability.
• In Union Jal Shakti Ministry’s annual ranking,
Namakkal achieved second place in the
conservation and management category for
the year 2022.
22
https://www.indiawaterportal.org/articles/namakkal-district-tamil-nadu-sets-example-becoming-water-secure pdf COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 51
Place of Implementation: Nagpur
Organization: MahaGenCo, Nagpur Municipal
Corporation (NMC)
Year of Implementation: 2015
Background:
The city generated around 425 million liters a
day of wastewater with a capacity of just 100
million liters a day, increasing population and
large volume used in thermal power plants,
makes city water stressed. MahaGenCo
partnered with NMC to explore the use of
wastewater from treatment plant for its
operation.
Objective:
• Address water scarcity in Nagpur.
• To increase water demand for power
plant.
• To diversify water supply sources by
incorporating alternative sources (treated
wastewater) and invest in sanitation and
wastewater infrastructure for the city.
Intervention:
• Project included a raw wastewater intake
facility with a pumping station of 130
million liters per day.
• Wastewater treatment plant with
secondary and tertiary treatment to meet
MahaGenCo’s water quality requirements.
• A 16.2 km pipeline from the wastewater
treatment plant to the power plant.
REUSE OF TREATED
WATER IN THERMAL POWER
PLANT IN NAGPUR COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 52
• A one-day reservoir of treated wastewater
at the Thermal Power Plant for back-up.
• End user was MahaGenCo of waste water
for that they paid NMC INR 2.03 per cubic
meter of raw wastewater.
Outcomes :
• The city of Nagpur is on its way to
becoming the first Indian city to reuse
more than 90 percent of its wastewater.
• The proximity of the power plant to the
wastewater treatment plant lowered
water transport costs.
• Treated waste water is less expensive for
a power plant and has consistent quality
and quantity more than freshwater.
23
https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/847531576610020104/pdf/Wastewater-From-Waste-to-Resource-The-Case-of-Nagpur-India. pdf COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 53
Place of Implementation: Five villages near
Hyderabad, Telangana.
Organization, National Agro Foundation
Year of Implementation: 2021
Background:
• There are two primary sources of
water in Hyderabad — the Nagarjuna
Sagar reservoir (River Krishna) and the
Yellampalli reservoir (River Godavari).
Water levels at both these reservoirs were
dangerously low in 2019 affecting the
drinking water supply for its 6.8 million
residents.
• In year 2021, Novartis in collaboration
with non-profit organization National
Agro Foundation launched watershed
development program to solve problem
of water scarcity in 5 villages Near
Hyderabad, Telangana region.
Objectives:
• Improving drinking water availability
and quality, and sanitation facilities to
maximize economic and social welfare
without compromising vital ecosystems.
• Install drinking water and sanitation
facilities at local schools, provide livelihood
support (e.g., backyard poultry, livestock for
milk) to landless families through women
self-help groups, and plant 3,000 trees.
WATERSHED DEVELOPMENT
IN HYDERABAD TO ADDRESS
WATER SCARCITY COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 54
Interventions:
• Implied integrated model to rejuvenate
vital eco system.
• Promotion of inclusive development.
• Capacity-building to farmers, in particular
training on advanced water-saving
techniques and methods to increase
agricultural productivity sustainably.
Outcomes:
• Increase in water availability by 50%-
60%.
• Ground water table augmented by 10
feet (3 meters)
• Benefited around 2000 families.
• Created an additional 50,000 m3 water
storage capacity.
• Harvested 60,000m3 volume of
rainwater
• Increased farmer income to INR 8100 per
acre.
24
https://www.novartis.com/in-en/the-road-water-neutrality-a-race-we-can-wipdf COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 55
CLIMATE RESILIENT
WATER MANAGEMENT COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 56
Temporary flood water storage in
agricultural areas in the Middle Tisza
river basin - Govt. of Hungary
Sihlanzimvelo Stream Cleaning
Project - eThekwini municipality,
South Africa
Metropolitan Area Outer Underground
Discharge Channel (MAOUDC)- Tokyo
City Administration
Making Namakkal District of Tamil
Nadu Water secure - District
Administration of Tamil Nadu
Flood Forecasting and Early
Warning System - Govt. of Kolkata
and Asian Development Bank COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 57
Place of Implementation: Middle Tisza river
basin, Hungary
Organization: Government of Hungary
Year of Implementation: 2009
Background:
River straightening, combined with other
factors (sediment accumulation in some river
sections, deforestation, land use change)
caused continuous increase in peak flood
water levels. Peak water levels were 753 cm
in 1876, 909 cm in 1970 and 1040 cm in 2000.
From the period 1998-2001 four serious flood
events took place on the Tisza river with
peak water levels, as neither the height of
the dikes, nor their strength were adequate.
In one flood event dikes were ruptured and
protected areas were flooded.
Objective:
• Cost effective measures for flood
protection strategy for the middle Tisza
river basin
• To cope with the changing condition of
river basin and strengthen weak points of
existing dike system.
Intervention:
• Six temporary reservoirs were used for
agricultural purposes in normal periods
and utilized for temporary water retention
TEMPORARY FLOOD WATER
STORAGE IN AGRICULTURAL AREAS
IN THE MIDDLE TISZA RIVER BASIN COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 58
during flood. An additional water retention
area along the Tisza river was created
in 2022. The water retention areas were
planned to have a lifetime of over 100
years.
• A mechanism of economic compensation
implemented by the government for
remunerating farmers in case of damage
to the agricultural soil and yield losses
during flood events
• Cost-benefit analysis of the selected
strategy performed
Outcome:
• Area utilized for agricultural purposes in
normal conditions, is eventually flooded
(intentionally and under controlled
conditions) and utilized for flood water
retention in case of emergency.
• This system supplemented the dikes to
cope with floods with a return period of
100 years or higher.
• Allowed buffering during extreme
precipitation events and reducing flood
wave propagation, with consistent
beneficial implications for flood risk
mitigation.
• First polder was inaugurated in 2009 and
other five temporary planned reservoirs
were completed during 2010-2015.
• One of these polders was successfully
used in 2010 flood event which showed
that flood mitigation system proved
effective for the purposes of disaster risk
reduction.
• Cost benefit analysis presented a trade-
off between efficiency in risk reduction
and relatively low initial investment costs.
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https://climateadapt.eea.europa.eu/en/metadata/case-studies/temporary-flood-water-storage-in-agricultural-areas-in-the-middle-tisza-river-
basin-hungary/#adapt_options_anchor COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 59
Place of Implementation: Durban, South
Africa
Organization: eThekwini municipality in
partnership with Roads and Stormwater
Maintenance Unit
Year of Implementation: 2011
Background:
Durban (eThekwini) is the third most
populous city in South Africa. The coastline
along eThekwini is vulnerable to flooding and
erosion as culverts designed in earlier times
did not factor in the debris carried by rivers
during storm events. The streams are located
in high density, low-income settlements with
poor water quality. This poses human health
risks and flood associated impacts. Alien and
invasive vegetation, accumulation of solid
waste increased the amount of silt in rivers
causing stormwater blockages. This project
is located within the uMhlangane River
Catchment to help the city manage flooding
and stormwater blockages.
Objective:
• To remove solid waste, alien and invasive
vegetation along 295 km of streams.
• To control flood and clean stormwater
blockages.
• To create employment.
SIHLANZIMVELO STREAM
CLEANING PROJECT COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 60
• To educate communities about flood
management.
Intervention:
Community co-operatives of 8-10 local
people involved in :
• Clearing 5 km of river along with 3 m
corridors on either side of water.
• Re-planting indigenous plants in riparian
zones.
• Reporting sewer leaks and blocked
manholes.
• Circulating knowledge about species and
vegetation within the community.
Outcome:
• Sihlanzimvelo expanded its reach from
295 km to 525 km, creating clean public
spaces for recreation.
• Around 800 jobs were created, saving
millions of rand by preventing damage
to road culverts and infrastructure in the
city.
• The maintenance program removed solid
waste and alien vegetation in KwaMashu
under the Sihlanzimvelo Stream Cleaning
Project.
26
https://issuu.com/glen.t/docs/imiesa_october_2022/s/17157119 COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 61
Place of Implementation: Tokyo, Japan
Organization: City Administration
Year of Implementation: 2005
Background:
Tokyo experiences severe floods during the
monsoon as the rivers swell during that time.
The stormwater drainage system does not
have the capacity to accommodate runoff
during extreme rainfall. To mitigate risk of
flooding City administration developed
Metropolitan Area Outer Underground
Discharge Channel (MAOUDC) system.
Objective:
• To build flood defense system using
advanced infrastructure.
• To mitigate risk of flooding and associated
impacts.
Intervention:
• Underground tunnels works as a function
to divert and manage flood water.
• Five contaminant silos which are
connected to 6.3 km long central tunnel
located 50 meters beneath the surface
collects excess water from rivers in and
around the city.
• System contains pumps and water tanks
to divert overflowing flood water into the
METROPOLITAN AREA OUTER
UNDERGROUND DISCHARGE
CHANNEL (MAOUDC) COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 62
underground silos and tunnels.
• When the flow within the river system
becomes normal, stored water is pumped
back into the Edo river that is connected to
the Tokyo Bay.
Outcome:
• Flood water is successfully stored during
extreme rainfall and reduced the risk of water
stagnation around the city.
• The damages resulting from floods have been
reduced (halved) in comparison to losses
before establishing the defense system.
• The tunnels are open to tourists and visitors
to spread awareness about the importance
of disaster management during inactivity.
27
A catalogue of best practices for building flood resilience, National Institute of Urban Affairs, July 2022 “ COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 63
Place of Implementation: Kolkata, West
Bengal
Organization: Kolkata Municipal Corporation
(KMC) with technical assistance from Asian
Development Bank (ADB)
Year of Implementation: 2018
Background: Kolkata is highly prone to
recurring flooding:
• Urbanization challenges like encroachment
of water bodies, inadequate storm water
drainage systems, inadequate solid waste
management block the tidal channels
• Deltaic topography and extreme rainfall
• Lack of flood preparedness.
• Flood Forecasting and Early Warning
System (FFEWS) is the first comprehensive
city level early warning system in India
implemented by KMC with the help of
ADB.
Objective:
• To improve flood resilience of the city
• Monitor and disseminate flood risk data
Interventions:
• Establishing a city level FFEWS designed
to visualize the real time information
on temperature, air quality and water
FLOOD FORECASTING AND
EARLY WARNING SYSTEM
IN KOLKATA COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 64
stagnation and other climate related data
using 400 sensor nodes.
• Installation of ultrasonic sensors across
vulnerable hotspots and critical junctions
like canals, water pumping stations, traffic
junctions and schools
• Community involvement through installation
of shopfront sensors in commercial areas.
• Capturing real time information on
• Flood and air quality and upload on a
centralised cloud server for processing.
This data collected can be visualized in
a Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
platform.
• Disseminate warnings to the public through
mobile notifications, radio and television
broadcasts.
Outcome:
• Flooding reduced about 4,800 hectares,
and KMC expects further flood reduction
in over 6,000 hectares
• Reduced impacts from flood-induced
traffic congestions
• Flood-informed urban planning
• Reduced economic loss and impacts on
livelihoods
• Improved flood awareness and safety at
community level
• Access to environmental and inundation
data at the shop or building-level.
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https://www.adb.org/publications/toward-resilient-kolkata COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 65
Key Learnings from
Compendium
Water conservation practices are being carried out across the globe that have immensely
benefitted the farmers and society resulted in optimal allocation of water resources. Studies
demonstrating significant changes in the system were selected for this compendium
and grouped under five themes viz. Policy-led interventions, Watershed development,
Smart water infrastructure, Wastewater treatment and its reuse and Climate resilient
water management. Overall, these interventions have immensely benefitted the farmers,
optimized the consumption of water resources and developed climate resilience in the
respective area. Specific learnings observed from the studies in this compendium are
described below:
Policy-led Interventions
1) Policy led interventions are instrumental in effective water management at village or
district level.
2) Tanks, check dams, farm ponds are conventional methods of water conservation with
which local communities strongly associate. Hence, community participiation will lead
to ownership and help in long term sustainability of the intervention.
3) Deeping of ponds and tanks is an effective way to restore groundwater levels and
address water scarcity. Silt resulted from soil excavation during deeping is an important
resource for the farmers and thus they are ready to participate in the whole process.
4) Water budgeting as adopted in Mukhyamantri Jal Swavlamban Abhiyan of Rajasthan
proved to an effective measure of optimizng water consumption.
5) Suucessful model of Drink From Tap Mission in PURI city can be replicated in other
cities as well. The main features of this mission are Right to Water policy, relaxed house
connection norms, reduced non revenue water through 100% metering and volumetric
metering.
6) Use of information technology with smart metring helps in data capturing which can be
used by the operators as a tool for decision making.
7) Construction of wells in water scarce regions will aid in impriving the fertility of land and
consequently the agricutral economy of the area.
8) Automation of canal systems will help in decision making process. COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 66
Watershed Development
1) Building robust and sustainable structures positively impact year long availability of water
2) Employing modern techniques like microirrigation , mulching raise the irrigation efficiency.
3) Community awareness about quality and qauntity of water can help in averting risk of water stress.
4) Precautions must be taken to avoid accumulation of silt in dams as it lowers the water holding capacity.
5) Shift from rain dependent farming to harvesting and storing rain water through diversion-based
farming is required.
6) Over extraction of ground water can lead to Fluoride contamination creating health issues.
7) Shift in source of water from ground water to surface water in areas which are contaminated with
heavy metals is recommended.
8) The implementation of Phytoremediation and Bioremediation techniques are effective in biological
rejuvenation of lakes.
9) The biological restoration of lake can integrate renewable energy options such as solar power within
the process.
Smart Water Infrastructure
1) The implementation of IoT and AI devices for monitoring water consumption and losses can
effectively predict weather patterns, leading to a reduction in non-revenue water and better
flood management.
2) In order to adapt to climate change, irrigation system needs to be conjugated with remote
sensing and satellite imagery techniques.
3) The timely prediction, and subsequent modification of irrigation schedules can enhance the
irrigation efficiency and crop productivity.
4) The implementation of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) is a viable approach to mitigate the
impact of floods.
5) Upgradation in traditional drainage systems is required.
6) The integration of blue, green, and gray infrastructure is a viable approach to effectively manage
floods.
Wastewater Treatment And Reuse
1) Hydroponics in combination with desalination is efficient method of growing crops with reduced
fresh water consumption. COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
WATER MANAGEMENT 3.0 67
2) Waterless drying technology in textile industries results in enormous amount of water and
energy savings.
3) Tertiary treatment of wastewater and its reuse in mining operations presents a financially and
environmentally beneficial model.
4) Nagpur model of reuse of tertiary treated water to generate steam in thermal power plant
is an excellent demonstration of how circular economy can result in lowering the volume of
freshwater withdrawal. This model can be adopted by other cities as well.
5) Community-driven initiatives are better maintained and demonstrate longevity in terms of
resource management.
6) In large urban water supply systems, comprehensive monitoring and real-time data procurement
ensures control, decision support and sustainable use of water resources.
Climate Resilient Water Management
1) In the wake of rising flood events all across India, sustainable flood protection initiatives are
required.
2) Hungary introduced a cost-effective practice for flood protection in which agricultural land is
used as temporary reservoir during flooding for water retention.
3) Constructing underground tunnels as practiced in Japan is an innovative measure to divert and
manage flood water. The water stored in the storage may be used for domestic supply or can
be pumped back into the river when the river water recedes.
4) Flood Forecasting and Early Warning System (FFEWS) model implemented in Kolkata can be
replicated in other cities.
5) Real time monitoring through smart technology is effective in building city’s flood resilience. COMPENDIUM OF BEST PRACTICES IN
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