Context: Recently, the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti has launched the first-ever census of water bodies in convergence with the Sixth Minor Irrigation Census (reference year 2017-18), under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme – “Irrigation Census”.
- The census provides an extensive inventory of water sources in India, highlighting disparities between rural and urban areas and varying levels of encroachment.
Waterbodies Census
-
It is the first ever process of conducting a comprehensive survey of all the waterbodies in a particular region or country.
-
The census aims to identify and classify different types of waterbodies like ponds, tanks, lakes, and reservoirs, among others.
-
The information can help in the development of strategies for their conservation and management.
-
The objective of the census is to develop a national database for all water bodies by collecting information on all important aspects including their size, condition, status of encroachments, use, storage capacity, etc.
Definition of Waterbodies
-
The census defines a waterbody as a unit bounded on all sides that is used for storing water for various purposes.
-
These units can be either natural or man-made and may or may not have masonry work.
-
Waterbodies are used for a variety of purposes, such as irrigation, industrial use, pisciculture, domestic and drinking water supply, recreation, religious purposes, and groundwater recharge.
-
The report states that any structure that accumulates water from ice-melt, streams, springs, rain or drainage of water from residential or other areas or stores water by diversion from a stream, nala or river is also considered a waterbody.
![]()
Key highlights
-
24,24,540 water bodies have been enumerated in the country, out of which 97.1% (23,55,055) are in rural areas and only 2.9% (69,485) in urban areas.
-
The data of water bodies up to the fifth minor irrigation census is limited to village level whereas the first census of water bodies covers all types of water bodies in both rural and urban areas.
-
59.5% (14,42,993) of water bodies are ponds, followed by tanks (15.7% i.e., 3,81,805), reservoirs (12.1% i.e., 2,92,280), water conservation schemes/percolation tanks/check dams (9.3% i.e. 2,26,217), lakes (0.9% i.e. 22,361) and others (2.5% i.e. 58,884).
-
West Bengal accounts for the most (7.47 lakh) and Sikkim the least (134) number of water bodies.
-
West Bengal has the highest number of ponds and reservoirs, whereas Andhra Pradesh has the highest number of tanks.
-
Tamil Nadu has the highest number of lakes and Maharashtra is the leading state with water conservation schemes.”
-
West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas has been ranked as the top district having the highest (3.55 lakh) number of water bodies across the country.
The census also collected data on encroachment of water bodies for the first time.
Steps for Augmentation, Conservation and Efficient Management of Water Resources
-
Water being a State subject, steps are primarily undertaken by the respective State Governments.
-
In order to supplement their efforts, the Central Government provides technical and financial assistance through various schemes and programmes.
-
For example, Repair, Renovation and Restoration (RRR) of Water Bodies under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)- Har Khet Ko Pani (HKKP) scheme provides for the restoration of water bodies.
-
There is the need for taking necessary steps for keeping all the water bodies encroachment free, such as
-
Inclusion of water bodies in land records,
-
Making them integral part of town planning process,
-
Strict action for the encroachers, etc.
Conclusion
-
The census provides a comprehensive overview of the distribution of waterbodies in India, highlighting the states and districts with the highest number of waterbodies.
-
The data on encroachment of waterbodies can help in identifying areas where conservation efforts are needed to protect these valuable resources.