Focused attention to vulnerable areas including over-exploited areas

There is urgent need for appropriate measures in the vulnerable areas which are likely to be adversely affected due to impact of climate change and the areas where the water resources, particularly the groundwater resources are declining due to overuse. In about 15% of the assessment blocks, groundwater has been over-exploited and about 14% of the blocks are in critical or semi-critical state.

The strategies identified for the Goal 3 are as follows;

3.1 Expeditious implementation of water resources projects, particularly the multipurpose projects with carry over storages benefitting drought prone and rain deficit areas.

3.2 Promotion of traditional system of water conservation.

3.3 Physical sustainability of groundwater resources.

3.4 Intensive programme for ground water recharge in over-exploited, critical and semi-critical areas.

3.5 Conservation and preservation of wetland.

3.6 Intensive programme for addressing the quality aspects of drinking water, particularly in rural area.

3.7 Promotion of water purification and desalination.

3.8 Systematic approach for coping with floods.

The key areas identified for Goal 3 are:

a) Enhancing storage capacities in multipurpose hydro-projects and integration of drainage with irrigation infrastructures.

b) Restoration of old water tanks.

c) Formulating and implementing a regulatory regime to ensure wise use of wetland at the national, State and District levels.

d) Environmental appraisal and impact assessment of developmental projects on wetland.

e) Strengthen links with afforestation programmes and wetland conservation.

f) Planning of watershed management in mountain ecosystems.

g) Enhancing recharge of the sources and recharge zones of deeper aquifers.

h) Mandating water harvesting and artificial recharge in relevant urban areas.

i) Exploring options to augment water supply in critical areas,

j) Promoting Recycling of Wastewater for meeting water needs of urban areas.

k) Adoption of new and appropriate technologies for water supply to coastal cities such as low temperature desalination technologies that allow for use of ocean water,

l) Seawater desalination using Reverse Osmosis and multistage flash distillation to take advantage of low grade heat energy e.g. from power plants located in coastal region or by using renewable energy such as solar.

m) Brackish water desalination.

n) Water purification technologies.

o) Developing digital elevation models for flood prone areas of forecasting flood.

p) Mapping areas likely to experience floods and developing schemes to manage floods.