S7- WATER AUDITING FOR IRRIGATION PROJECTS
WATER AUDITING OF WATER RESOURCES PROJECTS H. T. MENDHEGIRI G. V. VYAWAHARE
INTRODUCTION Enormous growth in population, changing living standard & industrialization have led to increase in nonirrigation demands
Irrigation storages now being considered as source for these demands resulting in lesser availability of water for irrigation Irrigation use entails about 80 to 85 % of quantity, a marginal improvement in water use efficiency results in saving substantial quantity For achieving this goal, one of the methods is Water Auditing
WATER AUDITING ? ď ś
Systematic & scientific examination of water accounts of projects by independent organization.
ď ś Broadly it involves checking of: 1. Actual water use in various sectors against planning, 2. Whether water use for irrigation in every season is as per planning and checking the irrigation system performance (Ha/ Mcum) 3. Whether the prescribed procedure for water management followed or not. 4. Whether proper records are maintained or not.
BENEFITS OF WATER AUDIT
Water auditing will lead to: (a) an efficient use of available water resources, (b) reduced water losses, (c) transparency in overall process, (d) accountability of field officers, (e) an enhanced knowledge of the distribution system, (f) improved financial performance and (g) improved, level of service to customers.
WATER AUDIT PROCEDURE Water audit starts right at sub division level. Rotation-wise accounts of SO are checked by SDE Timely submission of account of water use after every rotation is necessary to monitor the irrigation management . Timely submission of accounts in prescribed proformae (I to V) by sub division to division will enable the EE to monitor the management. Seasonal/annual water accounts are prepared in the division & submitted to the circle office for further submission to water audit office.
ROLE OF WATER AUDIT UNITS
Units at state water audit office, will be responsible for auditing of water accounts in their respective regions. Yearly inspection of division, sub division and section offices is a part of water audit. Remarks of inspection will be treated as water audit paras. Field SE to promptly comply the preliminary remarks in scrutiny of water accounts communicated by water audit office. Audit paras can be dropped after receipt of satisfactory compliance report from the concerned field officers. The competent authorities at different levels will take action in this respect.
USE OF COMPUTER IN WATER ACCOUNTING
Manual handling and storing of huge data is difficult Submission of accounts using template files specially designed for the purpose to eliminate calculation errors. Online submission of data and accounts is possible Seasonal and annual water accounts can be generated by compilation of the proformae submitted by field offices during the season/year. Analysis, presentation & preparation of annual Water Audit Reports by using computer programming.
WATER AUDIT REPORT Half margin remarks raised during inspections by unit Inspection remarks communicated to field EE. Decision of the CE, water audit office, on dropping / keeping the remarks / paras proposed by the inspection unit will be final Field SE to take monthly review of the pending inspection paragraphs and give special attention to clear the paragraphs. Field CE will take review of the pending inspection paras of the Circle / Division under his jurisdiction, bimonthly and issue suitable instructions to the field officers to clear them. Action Taken Report be intimated to the CE, water audit office.
CONCLUSIONS........ Following suggestions are made for the effective water audit of projects: 1. Realistic evaporation data is required for calculating water loss 2. Immediate calibration of the Standing Wave Flumes at canal as well as distributory head, to have realistic data about irrigation water use. 3. Reservoir Silt survey of major projects of age more than 15 years may be taken in hand, so that net water availability for different water uses can be worked out while preparing the PIP so that water account will be more realistic. 4.More emphasis shall be given to install Water meters on non irrigation water supply as well as Lift Irrigation Schemes so that lapses in flow measurements of these schemes will not affect the data about canal water use 5. Project authorities are advised to prepare action plan for improving the water use efficiency and reducing the transit losses. 6. Systematic and scientific water audit of water resources projects will improve the water management system in long run.
CONCLUSIONS
Maharashtra is conducting water audit of projects since 2003-04. Annual reports are published and are available on website. Training to the concerned are conducted regularly by WALMI, Aurangabad. Proformae for water accounting are prescribed. An independent office of CE is looking after the activity.