Govt launches National Water Informatics Centre to maintain data on water resources.

The government has set up a central body - National Water Informatics Centre (NWIC) - to maintain a comprehensive water resourcesdata. It will be a single window source of updated data on water resources in India.

The NWIC will also collaborate with leading national and international research institutes to provide technical support to central and state organisations dealing with water emergency response of hydrological extremes.

Since scientific data is needed to take any decision, the Union cabinet had recently approved setting up such a body which can provide value-added products and services to all stakeholders for management and sustainable development of water resources in the country.

"You cannot find a solution unless you know the magnitude of the problem. Measuring the problem is key to find a solution. Once we have a single window source of updated data on water resources, it will be easier to take a decision even on settling inter-state river water sharing dispute. The absence of such updated data currently presents a roadblock in the decision-making process in such disputes as states always counters claims of each other while seeking a share of water in a particular river”, said an official.

He said, “Availability of updated data is, in fact, a prerequisite for scientific assessment, monitoring, modelling, Decision Support System (DSS) and integrated water resource management in the country”.

The NWIC will work under the Union water resources ministry as its subordinate office. It’ll be headed by a joint secretary level officer. The management of water resources is a highly complex and tedious task that involves the expertise in multi-disciplinary domains. It also depends on historical and real-time reliable data and information.

For this, the first requirement is to develop, maintain and update regularly a comprehensive ‘Water Resources Information System’ (WRIS) in public domain for awareness and involvement of all concerned for effective integrated water resources management”, said the ministry in a statement.(Source: The Business Standard)