CENTRAL
WATER COMMISSION - GOVERNANCE
News: Water level drops to 23% in
India's main reservoirs: Central Water Commission report
What's in
the news?
●
The water level of the
country's 150 main reservoirs has dropped to 23 percent and is also 77 percent
less than last year's levels at this time, according to Central Water
Commission (CWC) data.
Central
Water Commission (CWC):
●
It is a premier technical organization in India
in the field of water resources.
●
It was established in 1945
as an advisory body to the Government of India on matters relating to water
resources development and management.
Headquarters:
New Delhi
Nodal
Authority:
●
It is presently functioning
as an attached office of the Ministry of
Jal Shakti, Department of Water Resources, River Development, and Ganga
Rejuvenation, Government of India.
Governance:
●
It is headed by a Chairman, with the status of Ex-Officio Secretary to
the Government of India.
●
The work of the Commission
is divided among three wings namely,
the Designs and Research (D&R) Wing, the River Management (RM) Wing and the
Water Planning and Projects (WP&P) Wing.
●
Each wing is placed under
the charge of a full-time member with the status of Ex-Officio Additional
Secretary to the Government of India.
Functions:
●
The commission is entrusted
with the general responsibilities of initiating, coordinating, and furthering,
in consultation with the state governments concerned, schemes for control, conservation, and utilization of water resources
throughout the country for the purposes of flood control, irrigation,
navigation, drinking water supply, and water power development.
●
It also undertakes the
investigation, construction, and execution of any such schemes as required.
Works of
CWC:
●
Preparation of National Perspective Plan for Water
Resources Development (NPP) envisaging interlinking of rivers for optimal
utilization of surplus water.
●
Development
of National Water Policy (NWP) providing a framework for
water resources planning, allocation and management at various levels.
●
Formulation
of the National Hydrology Project (NHP)
for strengthening the hydrological information system and improving the quality
and reliability of data.
●
Establishment of the National Water Informatics Centre (NWIC) for
creating a comprehensive web-based water resources information system.
●
Implementation of a Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project
(DRIP) for improving the safety and operational efficiency of existing
dams.
● Coordination of Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) for enhancing water conservation and recharge activities across the country.