Use of water accounts based indicators for water management in India

Abstract

AbstractIn India, water accounts on a river basin scale are not prepared regularly, mainly due to the unavailability of data on consumptive uses in various economic sectors at that scale. This research paper demonstrates an approach to prepare water accounts for the Mahanadi river basin in eastern India, which experiences climate‐induced hydrological extremes using the demographic, economic, hydrological, and geohydrological data available at different administrative and geographical scales. Further, selected water accounts derived indicators were computed to identify critical elements that need to be altered for improving water resources management at the river basin scale. The results show that the total inflow during the wet year exceeds 24%–26% in comparison to the normal and dry years. In turn, 23% and 24% of the inflow get drains to the sea in a dry and normal year, respectively, with agriculture accounting for the lion's share of the blue water consumed, about 57%–60% in all the years. The river has a huge dilution capacity, and, except for the biological oxygen demand in a dry year, the value of all other selected water quality parameters (nitrogen and electrical conductivity) is within the acceptable limits established by law. Reducing water consumption in irrigated crops during summer, controlling evaporation from the reservoirs, and considering nitrogen concentration and electrical conductivity in the existing approach to determine polluted river stretches in India are identified as crucial actions for improving water management in the basin. Further, assessment of water consumption and environmental flow requirement is identified as important decision factors to guide future water reallocation among riparian states.