Clean Water, Healthy Odia, Healty Odisha

….Jala hin Jeevan

…………Jal hein to Kal hein

Pranab R Choudhury
Odisha Water Forum
World Water Day Messages
 Slogans
 Clean Water for a Healthy World
 Water Quality : Healthy People, Healthy Ecosystem
 Water Quality is about Sustainability
 Water quality in a changing world

 Everyday 2m t of sewage and effluents get added

 In developing Country 90% raw sewage and 70%
untreated industrial waste
Orissa’s Water Endowments
 Storage fresh water resource is
175 BCM
 Mahanadi, Brahmani–Baitarani
basin are estimated as surplus
basin in terms of water and food
( Cluster 5 of IWMI River basin
clusters )
 Replenishable GW resources is 20
BCM/Yr
 84% of villages have GW at less
than 10m depth & 97% within
15m (MI Census, 2001)
Water Allocation & Priorities
 OWP, 2007 Priorities
1. Drinking water and domestic use (human & animal
consumption)
2. Ecology
3. Irrigation, Agriculture including Fisheries.
4. Hydro Power
5. Industries including Agro Industries.
6. Navigation and other uses such as tourism
 Quality of paramount importance
Drinking Water
 Access
 >97% habitations covered (tube wells, sanitary well, PWS) on
record
 Response/Repair team at GP level
 Quality
 Metal – Iron, Arsenic, Fluoride
 Salinity : 5.39 lakh ha of the coastal alluvial tract facing salinity
hazard – impact on coastal pregnancy
 Biological Contamination – Streptococcus
 Water market – Water Purifiers, Pouch business
 Conflicts
 Smelter plants and Fly ash effluents causing fluoride and other pollution in Angul
 Caste related conflict over drinking water in some villages in Malkanagiri
 Ground Water depletion and Pollution due to Mining and overdrawl (talcher),
Urbanization (Bhubaneswar); PWS making tube well defunct -Ganjam
Irrigation
 Target Vs Achievements
 High Investment by WRD – Own & External aid
 Regional variations & Iniquitous access
 Focus :
 Major & Medium Vs Minor, Surface Vs GW
 Area Coverage Vs efficiency (water use, conveyance)
 Status of Pani Panchayats : Head and tail ender
 Rainfed area and WDP – Huge Investment- Externalities
 Conflict
 Hirakud – Industry Vs Agriculture
 Laying of Industry-pipeline for use of Kanupur Project Water in Keonjhar
 Wrong site selection of Anandpur barrage leading to dissatisfaction and unrest
 Urban-peri-urban conflict in Baripada
 Growing water market (deeper bore well vs poor farmer)in Jajpur
 Irrigation Projects : Chheligada, Lower Suktel
Flood
 15% area of the state is traditionally flood prone
 Horrifying Statistics
 In 100 years (1868-1967), there were 262 floods
 1967-2006 (40 years), 21 floods
 1971-99: Loss to PU – Rs 46.4 billion (Rs 511 per capita)
 2001-06: 3 floods, avg 25 district/yr, 384 human lives,
23000 livestock, 16 lakh ha cropped area, Loss to PU –
Rs 39.4 bn
 Embankments (6515 rkm in 2007) & Escapes
 Flood Control & Relief Vs Damage
 Loss during 2002-07 - Rs 4000 Crore
 Investment in flood control Rs 15 Crore
 Receipt for flood relief Rs 600 Crore
Flooded areas in Orissa

Hirakud Rengali
Reservoir Reservoir

Baitarani

Brahmani

Mahanadi

Bay of Bengal
Flood Escapes !
 Flooding Worries
 Orissa’ s problem is due to the efforts which have been made towards its protection
from flood. Every square mile of country from which spill water is excluded means the
intensification of floods elsewhere, every embankment means the heading up of water
on someone else’s land. The problem in Orissa is not how to prevent floods, but how to
pass them as quickly as possible to the sea. And the solution lies in removing all
obstacles which militate against this result. To continue as at present is merely to pile
up a debt which will have to be paid, in distress and calamity at the end

(Flood Enquiry Committee Report GOO, 1928)

 Flood Conflicts
 Indravati- Hati-Tel link causing flood in Hati and Tel River.
 Bloacked drainage system causing flood and conflict between villages in Jajpur
 Escapes causing conflict around Jajpur
 River meandering in Kendrapada
 Unauthorized sand quarrying causing severe erosion of several villages under
Marshaghai and Mahakalpada tehsils
Pollution
 50% of urban and 80% of rural people affected water
pollution
 4th in India in terms of water pollution load (Pandey and
Ghosh, 2002)
 ‘C’ Class water in Mahanadi, Brahmani and Baitarani (
OPCB, 2006)
 Direct discharge of effluents by Industries and urban
bodies
 Hexachrome and Mn pollution in Sukinda
 Huge metal pollution from mine waste
 Called "an industrial drain", the Nandira River’s black
water slowly killing people, animals, fish and plants as far
away as 50 miles downstream
 Talcher – Angul and Rourkela areas contributes maximum
pollution load
Pollution Conflicts
 Bheden River pollution in Jharsuguda by the affluent of Vedanta &
Bhusan.
 Ib Pollution due to Thermal Power Plants, and coal mining operations
 Chromites pollution in Sukinda in Jajpur District in the Brahmani
through Damsala Nalla affecting the health of villagers downstream
 Taladanda Canal Pollution and health threats to downstream
population
 Pollution in the Brahmani affecting fishermen’s livelihoods
 Pollution in Nagavali River in Rayagada by the effluents from the J.K.
Paper Mill.
 Red mud pollution of Kolab by NALCO and black liquor pollution by
SEWA
Interstate disputes
 Inadequate/lack of legal institutional
frameworks
 Bones of Contention
 Indravati, Vamsadhara, Mahendra Tanaya,
Suvarnarekha, Kolab, Polavaram, Mahanadi
Climate Change Predictions
WB-RMSI Study : Mahanadi Basin
Scenario Annual Max Min
Rainfall Temp Temp
 Will be wetter and warmer
 More rain during winter/pre-monsoon
 Increase in Min Temp is more than
Max Temp
A2 23% 3.8 4.2
 Surface water availability will be more
 More floods are expected
B2 20% 2.4 2.9
Also Global Sweat Gland Concern
http://www.teriin.org/events/docs/wb_confer/73v_national.pdf

Run off

A2
B2
Climate Change Threats
 Significant changes to stream-
flows, water quality,
groundwater recharge and
discharge, increased water
temperatures
 Mahanadi Woes
 River flows has gradually decreased
(1926-1980)
 Flooding situation in Mahanadi and
Brahmani will deteriorate
 Indication of progressively increasing
intensities of flood in September and
drought in April in the Mahanadi
 Odisha’s Water Conflict- Matrix
Middle
Geography  Upper Catchments Lower Catchment
Catchment
Typologies (Hill Areas) (Deltaic flood plains)
(Plateues)
Allocation of water for Industry Vs Agriculture

Extraction and Pollution due to mining & industry

Around Uses or
affecting water Sand mining
abuses
Quality/access for livelihoods

Open defecation affecting water quality for agriculture and drinking in immediate d/s
Watershed externalities segregating gainers and
Command area water distribution
losers (d/s vs u/s)
Around Rights Anicuts/barrages causing downstream
& Access Caste related siltation and meandering and affecting
capture fisheries
Inter-state water disputes
Caste-induced conflicts over differential access to
water sources Increased Flood damage due to escape
Around absence
or Excess
Water logging and salinization

Other related
Reservoir & River fishing rights Chilika lake fishing rights
issues
Mapping & Documentation of
Water Conflicts in Odisha

Legend Water Conflicts Around

Dams and displacement

Pollution

Flood

Ground Water

Irrigation

Drinking Water

Water body Conservation

Water Allocation

Inter State Dispute

Civil Society’s Attempt to Comprehend Hirakud Conflict –
Towards Research-base Informed dialogue & Advocacy
Hirakud
Conflict

Policy Farmers’ Movement

State Policy
Hirakud Vs OWP Expert Committee Evolution Internal dynamics External Influence
Changes

Catchment Reservoir Command

Reservoir
Inflow quantity Inflow quality Storage Rehabilitation Water WUA
Management
management
Silt flow Fishery Operation Allocation
Livelihood Conjuctive Equity
Fly Ash, heavy Use
Quality Rule Curve Env Flow
metal
Conveyance
Effluents – Emergency
Industry Efficiency Participation
Fluoride etc.
Direct effluent Cropping pattern
Inflow abstraction Wetland Power Democratization
Ecosystem
Services Storage impact
WHS, WD Project Irrigation
in UC area
CH4
Drinking Water
Rainfall Biodiversity
Quantity Radiation Delta Irrigation
DS/LS Flood Management
Other uses Migratory birds

Encroachment
Land use Carbon
sequestration Silt distribution
Inter State Relation
(Partition)
with CGH
Man made Natural
Odisha Water Forum
 Goal
 Water Security for all
 Democratization of Water Resource Governance
 Inclusive Water Future
 Citizen’s Forum on Water
 Multi-stakeholder representation
 Pan-Odishan Presence
 Democratic & Inclusive
 Rural Poor First
 Regional Forums
 Launch pad for debates and dialogues
 Resource Centre on Water
 Repository of Information
 People’s Forum for Action Research & Information
generation
Mission
 OWF believes in democratization of water resources
governance and hence would endeavour towards inclusive
and enhanced participation of local water stakeholders in
the state in decision making processes of water resources
management
 Formation of 11 District Water Forums so far
 OWF realizes the lack of availability and access to right
information as the greatest bottleneck towards desired
participation and appropriate decision making and hence
would thrive for enabling informed choices by water
stakeholders through collection, compilation, analysis and
dissemination of water information
 Waterrights Google Group
 Water News letter – Periodical & E-Water Feeder, Drought &
Flood Updates
 State level and Regional Consultations
 Water Conflict Project
Towards Water
Security for All