India's First Water Body Census: Detailed Report and UPSC Notes

The Inception of the Water Body Census:

• The inaugural census of water bodies was carried out concurrently with the Minor Irrigation Census for the year 2017-18.
• As per the census report, water bodies are classified as either natural or man-made entities, completely enclosed, with or without masonry work, utilized for storing water for varied purposes like irrigation, industrial use, pisciculture, domestic/drinking, recreation, religious activities, groundwater recharge, and more.
• In addition, the report clarifies that water bodies are identified by different terminologies such as tanks, reservoirs, ponds, and bundhies, among others.
• The report also categorizes structures that accumulate water from ice-melt, streams, springs, rainfall, or residential drainage, or water stored due to diversion from a stream, Nala, or river as a waterbody.

Highlights of the Report:

• The report reveals that India is home to a total of 24.24 lakh water bodies, including ponds, lakes, and tanks.
• West Bengal tops the list with 7.47 lakh water bodies, while Sikkim, with only 134 water bodies, has the least.
• Out of the total 24,24,540 water bodies recorded in the country, a significant 97.1% (23,55,055) are located in rural regions, and merely 2.9% (69,485) are found in urban areas.
• The overall composition of different types of water bodies is as follows:
  • Ponds – 59.5 per cent (14,42,993)
  • Tanks – 15.7 per cent (3,81,805)
  • Reservoirs – 12.1 per cent (2,92,280)
  • Water conservation schemes/percolation tanks/check dams – 9.3% (2,26,217)
  • Lakes – 0.9% (22,361)
  • Others – 2.5% (58,884)
• The report also outlines the states with the highest number of different types of water bodies.

• • West Bengal boasts the highest number of ponds and reservoirs
  • Andhra Pradesh leads in the number of tanks
  • Tamil Nadu is home to the highest number of lakes
  • Maharashtra is the frontrunner in water conservation schemes

• The South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal emerged as the leading district with the highest number (3.55 lakh) of water bodies across the country.
• For the first time, data on the encroachment of water bodies were also collected. The findings are as follows:
  • 1.6% of the total enumerated water bodies were reported to be encroached, with the majority of the encroachment occurring in rural areas (95.4%) and the rest in urban areas.
  • 62.8% of the encroached water bodies have less than 25% area under encroachment, while 11.8% of encroached water bodies have more than 75% area under encroachment.

Source: Indian Express