Water Resources State Mission guided by the National Water Mission Undertake an integrated approach for conservation and management of water resources Improve water use efficiency and control water pollution Minimize wastage and ensure equitable distribution of water Address the impacts of climate change on water resources.

Water Resources Current Status Institutional involved in Water Resource service delivery Current Concerns Current Policies, Programs and Projects Likely implications of Climate Change on Water Resources Strategies and to address Climate Change

Water Resources Current Status More than 95 percent of the surface water and 80 percent of the Ground water is currently being used. Agriculture is the largest consumer using 75 per cent of the water resources. The state is highly dependent on monsoons the failure of which leads to severe scarcity of water and droughts Surface Water-Cauvery is the major river basin, dependent on neighboring states for water supply Ground Water-80 percent of ground water being used, non-uniform usage; most blocks are over exploited-Chennai Storage Structures-85 reservoirs, need to create additional storage spaces and better management of existing ones, Water Resource Department attempting to revive them

Water Resources Institutional involved in Water Resource service delivery Water Resources Department (WRD)-for planning, evolving, executing and maintaining the irrigation facilities and infrastructure of the State. TWAD (Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board)-for planning, implementation, maintenance, monitoring and surveillance of water schemes Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board-for augmentation of water supply in the city Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department-for implementation of rural welfare schemes Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB)-for control, prevention and abatement of pollution in water resources Educational Institutions-for research in hydrology and water resources management activities

Water Resources Current Concerns Demand Supply Gap-sectoral demand is 2000 MCM more than the potential availability; gap expected to become 11 percent by 2020, 17 percent by 2050 Over Exploitation of Ground water-80 percent of ground water currently in use; of the 385+1blocks Floods-Copious rainfall in short duration-damage to infrastructure and life Number of blocks Usage status 138+1(Chennai) Over exploited 33 Critical 67 Semi Critical 11 Bad quality

Water Resources Increase in North-East monsoon and decrease in South-West monsoon-N.E monsoon to increase from 34 to 63percent; S.W monsoon to decrease from 48 to 24 percent; need for distribution and diversion of water Migration-from rural to urban thus increasing competition for water usage Drought-drought prone state; ICAR states that frequency of droughts in Tamil Nadu would be 1 every 3 years Low Water use Efficiency-due to lack of awareness

Water Resources Current Policies, Programs and Projects Policies and legislations related to water The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess Act, 1977 The Environment (Protection) Act 1986 National Water Policy, 2002 On-going Programs and Projects Master plan for artificial recharge National Action Plan on Climate Change for Cauvery delta Flood Management Program in Tamil Nadu Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP)

Water Resources Likely implications of Climate Change on Water Resources Rainfall projections Annual rainfall to increase considerably by the end of century Amount of rain to increase, the number of days of rainfall to decrease Annual rainfall to increase 7-12mm/day North East monsoon to increase considerably especially along the coast Ground water projections Global warming to cause shifting of shorelines towards inland leading to severe salt water intrusion into ground water Increased evaporation to effect reservoirs causing increased dependency on ground water

Water Resources Strategies Hilly Region Undertaking rainwater-harvesting measures along the hill slopes, especially in the recharge zones Constructing check dams, wherever feasible for the creation of water reservoirs for harnessing surface water Increasing water storage capacity by repairing, renovating and restoring existing water bodies Coastal Region Construct and rehabilitate of tail-end regulators to prevent the intrusion of saline water in channels Install desalination water project in coastal areas to ensure availability of fresh water.

Water Resources Control the volume of groundwater abstraction by strictly enforcing the ground water regulation acts to prevent seawater intrusion Plains Increasing the reservoir storage potential of existing irrigation projects in the region. Exploring the feasibility of transferring water from surplus basin to deficit basin Limit rampant ground water extraction Promote rainwater harvesting Enhance Artificial Recharge in over exploited ground water areas Improve Water use efficiency in agriculture Redirect flood waters for groundwater recharge Create small reservoir schemes such as check dams.

Water Resources Research Develop food forecasting system Assess water demand by sector by factoring in Climate change for short, medium and long term time lines Undertake mapping of water resources in conjunction with land use and land classification Policy Related Interventions Variable Irrigation Water Tax on surface and ground water use Extend compulsory rain water harvesting regulation in individual houses in all towns and villages Devise planning, monitoring and decision support systems for an integrated water management system in a climate change context

Water Resources Modernization of Irrigation system using Drips, Sprinklers systems for improving water use efficiency Introduce pricing regulation for use of piped water for domestic use and drinking water Undertake periodical census of medium and minor irrigation projects to check sustainability and also to detect disfunctionalities and implement remedial measures