Context: Recently, the Ministry of Jal Shakti has launched a new version of the India Water Resources Information System (India-WRIS) with new functionalities and features.

Background

• Judicious use of water resources assumes utmost importance, particularly when increasing population, urbanization and related development creates additional pressure on available resources.
• Good planning of any resource requires a strong data base and a reliable information system.

India Water Resources Information System (India-WRIS)

• This portal is open to the public and contains information related to Water Resources through dashboards for rainfall, water levels & discharge of rivers, water bodies, ground water levels etc.
• India WRIS is, at present, receiving data from many central and state agencies like CWC, CGWB, IMD, NRSC etc., on a regular basis.
• Data from other agencies is also being integrated into the system, so that it becomes a comprehensive platform for any data related to water and land resources.
• The MoJS has established a dedicated organization, National Water Informatics Centre (NWIC) to maintain and update India WRIS.
• The basis for all hydro-met observation data is the Water Information Management System (WIMS).

Benefits of India-WRIS

• Through this portal, any stakeholder can visualize the information in a user-friendly manner, as well download the information in the form of excel reports and graphs.
• Various user groups can utilize the information as follow like farmers and farmer Welfare Associations can plan crops and cropping pattern based on the rainfall, water availability in storages and ground water aquifers and with changing times the associations can involve youth for utilizing the data appropriately as real time data is available on this web site.
• Decision support System (DSS) can be developed.
• Researchers can utilize the data for water related studies and Modelling purposes as the data frequency required for such studies is available.
• Planners and Administrators can utilize this data of their States, Basins for proper utilization of water and to reduce the impact of Flood and Drought.