Page 343 - Industrial Wastewater Treatment, Recycling and Reuse

Urban Wastewater Treatment 315

developmentinthestatesandMWR.Italsoactively engagesin policyformu-
lation and development of water resources at the national level (CWC, 2007).
It is also quite evident that the Ministry of Agriculture promotes irrigated
agriculture through its Department of Agriculture and Cooperation. The
Indian National Committee of Irrigation and Drainage coordinates with
the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage and promotes
research in the relevant areas. The Central Pollution Control Board handles
water quality monitoring and the preparation and implementation of action
plans to solve pollution problems. In 1996, the Central Groundwater
Authority was established to regulate and control groundwater development
with a view to preserving and protecting the resource.

7.5.2 Water Management

Water resources planning and augmentation should attract increased potential
ofwaterthroughsustainableagricultureandfoodgrainyieldavailability(Sarma,
1999). Sustained irrigation has also helped reduce interannual fluctuations in
agricultural output and India’s vulnerability to drought (Anbumozhi et al.,
2001). One of the goals of Indian policy is now to find ways of maintaining
the level of food grain availability per inhabitant in a context of population
increase. Total water demand is expected to equal water availability by
2025,butinthemeantimeindustrialandmunicipalwaterdemandareexpected
to rise unproportionately at the expense of the agricultural sector, which will
have to produce more with less water (Sarma, 2002).
The centrally sponsored Command Area Development (CAD) Program
waslaunchedin1974-1975.Themainobjectivesoftheprogramareimproving
the utilization of the area equipped for irrigation and optimizing agriculture
production and productivity from irrigated agriculture. The program involves
the implementation of on-farm development works like construction of field
channels and field drains, reclamation of waterlogged areas, renovation and
rehabilitation of minor irrigation tanks, and correction of irrigation water dis-
tribution system deficiencies. The program also involves “software” activities
like adaptive trials, demonstrations, training of farmers, and evaluation studies.
An amount of Rs. 35,280 million has been released to the states as central assis-
tance under the program from its inception until the end of March 2008. An
areaofabout18.07million hahasbeencoveredundertheprogramsinceincep-
tion until the end of March 2007. The CAD Programme has been restructured
and renamed the “Command Area Development and Water Management
(CADWM) Programme” since 1 April 2004.