Jharkhand Establishes Water Resources Commission for Sustainable Water Governance

Ranchi: To ensure systematic water governance, Jharkhand is planning to establish a Water Resources Commission, which will provide real-time updates on river basin water availability, oversee multidimensional development and ensure efficient management of aquatic assets.

The water resources department issued a fresh call for applications on Thursday, seeking full-time technical experts to helm the commission, including specialists in hydrology, water resources development and soil conservation or agriculture. A high-level committee will carry out the selections, with chosen experts serving a two-year term.

Prashant Kumar, secretary of the department, said, “The proposed commission will study and develop a comprehensive database of water resources of the state to advise the govt on the sustainable utilisation of both river basins and groundwater. The aim is to ensure that water demand and supply is met in a sustainable manner.”

Kumar said that the commission is expected to be fully functional within three months. “We had invited applications earlier but did not get a good response, which led to delay in the formation of commission. We have invited applications again to ensure a high calibre of technical expertise,” he said.

Chaired by the development commissioner, the commission will comprise heads of various departments, chief engineers and technical experts from sectors such as climate change, environment and farming.

A focus area of the commission will be the creation of a basin-based information system. The digital repository will integrate a hydrological information system (HIS) featuring data on rainfall, streamflow, evaporation and water quality, supported by advanced GIS and remote sensing maps to track land usage, catchment area, forest cover, and drainage patterns across the state’s major tributaries.

Beyond data collection, the commission will review existing policies and interstate river basin agreements and advise on improvement of policies and introduction of new schemes.

It will also formulate irrigation schemes for rivers with catchment areas exceeding 100 sq km and identify regions that require lift irrigation due to geographical constraints. Special emphasis will be placed on the underground pipeline (UGPL) and mega lift irrigation schemes, with the commission tasked to determine optimal energy costs per hectare and draft frameworks for their long-term maintenance.

The commission will also address the challenges of climate change by reviewing current cropping patterns and recommending technological alternatives to match future water demand. Experts will evaluate ongoing irrigation projects to suggest corrective measures and study flood control strategies to mitigate drainage issues.