DATA4WATER
The Godavari river basin is home to diverse agricultural activities, making it a nexus of energy and agriculture. Besides, it also paves way for efficient water transportation. Finally, the majority of people living in the region depend on the river for drinking water needs.
Currently, the basin is poorly gauged due to a lack of comprehensive water monitoring services. This situation presents both opportunities and challenges in terms of water availability. While it points towards the potential for further exploration and development, it also underscores the need for improved infrastructure and attention to ensure sustainable management. River water modeling is essential in this aspect.
Potential to influence (positively) lives of
millions of people in terms of food and
water security. Optimized water management is essential in this regard.
Godavari River Basin
Covers around 9.7% of India’s total geographical area and crosses 5 states, highlighting its vastness and importance.
Supports 60.6 million lives, underscoring the region’s critical role in sustaining a significant portion of the nation’s populace.
Supports multiple sectors: agriculture, thermal & hydro-power and various industries.
Frequent floods plague certain parts of the basin, while droughts persist in others, pointing to varied and extreme climatic conditions. For instance, the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh experienced 3 major floods in the span of 2 months in 2022.
In the realm of in-situ measurements, there are 88 hydro-observation sites and 18 flood forecasting sites (As per a study conducted in 2014), emphasizing the commitment to river water monitoring and management.
Data portals are available at both national and basin levels, ensuring transparency and accessibility to crucial information.
There’s an ease of business and partnership at the basin level, encompassing research labs, basin management authorities, and water-related businesses.
However, administrative hurdles in forming such partnerships exist, primarily due to restrictive water governance, which can be a barrier for effective collaboration.
BWI’s Goals for Data4water
Identify the unique challenges faced by stakeholders and local authorities in the Godavari basin.
Conduct a detailed analysis of water-related issues affecting locals and river water users.
Evaluate the capability of BWI to address identified challenges
Determine the potential impact of accurate forecasts on enhancing water management practices.
Foster sustainability and operational efficiency by providing actionable insights.
Agriculture and Agrifood sectors heavily rely on river water as their main water source for various activities, including irrigation and manufacturing.
BWI has identified 262 farms & 23 food factories along the river!
Inefficient water pumping practices: over-extraction during low river discharge, exacerbating water scarcity issues and adversely affecting ecosystem health. Poor water quality during low discharge levels lead to habitat degradation, compromised biodiversity, and threats to the well-being of the communities. Frequent drought events and low river discharge levels further contribute to intensifying water scarcity challenges. In addition, there is insufficient real-time data on river discharge in the context of an inconsistent water availability poses a risk to food security and agriculture
Low river discharge forecasts prompt water replenishment, and ensure steady, ecosystem-friendly levels. Consequently, it prevents low water levels, and helps safeguard biodiversity and ecosystem health.
The solution delineated by BWI is the provisioning of near real-time and forecasts river discharge data, giving out the optimal pumping and replenishment timing information.
Decision support system for optimal pumping times during low river discharge, minimizing water usage and maintaining lower pollutant concentrations, positively impacting water quality.
Guidance on optimal pond filling times prevents overuse during low river discharge and on greywater release during high river discharge, maintaining lower pollutants.
Basin Authority
1
Hydropower Plants
15
Thermal power stations
23
Drinking water treatment plants
88
Major agro-industries
23
Farms
262
Other SMEs and large industries
More than 1000
Irrigation projects (as of 2014)
286
