NITI Aayog’s composite water management index: Gujarat tops the list while Jharkhand ranked lowest

New Delhi, June 15: Gujarat has topped the Niti Aayog's composite water management index (CWMI), while Jharkhand was adjudged as the worst performer. Notably, Minister for Water Resources Nitin Gadkari on Thursday released a report named titled 'Composite Water Management Index' in New Delhi.

 

According to the report, Gujarat has the composite water management index while Jharkhand was adjudged as the worst performer. Gujarat is followed by Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra on the index. On the other side, Jharkhand, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are worst performing states in water management.

In the northeastern and Himalayan states, Tripura has been adjudged as the top state in 2016-17 followed by Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Assam. However, West Bengal and Puducherry did not share water data with the Niti Aayog.

The report said, "In terms of incremental change in the index (over 2015-16 level), Rajasthan holds number one position in general states and Tripura ranks at first position amongst North Eastern and Himalayan states."

While releasing the report, Minister Nitin Gadkari said that water management is a big problem and "the states which have done well, have also performed better on agriculture front". "To deal with the problem of air pollution and water management in Delhi, I am going to call a meeting with the chief minister of Delhi," he added.

The report also pointed out that India is suffering from the worst water crisis in its history and millions of lives and livelihoods are under threat. "Currently, 600 million Indians face high to extreme water stress and about two lakh people die every year due to inadequate access to safe water," it said, adding that the crisis is only going to get worse.

The report also predicted that by 2030, the country's water demand is projected to be twice the available supply, implying severe water scarcity for hundreds of millions of people. According to the report, 52 percent of India's agricultural area remains dependent on rainfall so the future expansion of irrigation needs to be focused on last-mile efficiency.

Noting that water index scores vary widely across states, the report said most states have achieved a score below 50 percent and could significantly improve their water resource management practices.

BACKGROUND:

Niti Aayog has ranked the states through first of its kind index on the composite water management, comprising 9 broad sectors with 28 different indicators covering various aspects of groundwater, restoration of water bodies, irrigation, farm practices, drinking water, policy and governance.

The reporting states were divided into two special groups – 'North Eastern and Himalayan states' and 'Other States' - to account for the different hydrological conditions across these groups.