The Ministry of Jal Shakti in India has released the first-ever census report on water bodies in the country, which was launched under the "Irrigation Census" scheme in convergence with the 6th Minor Irrigation Census. The census aimed to create a comprehensive national database of all water bodies, covering both rural and urban areas, in use or not in use, and all types of water usage. The census has successfully completed, and the All India and State-wise reports have been published. The report highlights a total of 4,24,540 water bodies in the country, of which 97.1% are located in rural areas and only 2.9% in urban areas.
The top five states in terms of the number of water bodies are West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Assam, which collectively account for around 63% of the total water bodies in the country. Interestingly, West Bengal also features among the top five states with the highest number of water bodies in urban areas, along with Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, and Tripura.
The census report further reveals that 59.5% of water bodies in India are ponds, followed by tanks (15.7%), reservoirs (12.1%), water conservation schemes/percolation tanks/check dams (9.3%), lakes (0.9%), and other types of water bodies (2.5%).
In terms of ownership, the majority (55.2%) of water bodies are owned by private entities, while 44.8% are in the public domain. Of the publicly-owned water bodies, most are owned by Panchayats, followed by State Irrigation/State WRD. Meanwhile, individual owners/farmers hold the maximum number of privately-owned water bodies, followed by groups of individuals and other private bodies. The top five states leading in private-owned water bodies are West Bengal, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Jharkhand.
The census report also sheds light on the usage patterns of water bodies in India. The majority of water bodies in use are used for pisciculture, followed by irrigation. The top five states where water bodies are primarily used for pisciculture are West Bengal, Assam, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh. In contrast, the top five states where water bodies are primarily used for irrigation are Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, West Bengal, and Gujarat.
The report highlights that 78% of water bodies in India are man-made, while the remaining 22% are natural. Furthermore, 1.6% (38,496) of all enumerated water bodies are reported to be encroached, with 95.4% located in rural areas and the remaining 4.6% in urban areas.
Finally, the census report also provides insights into the size of water bodies in India. Of the 23,37,638 water bodies for which information on water spread area was reported, the majority (72.4%) have a water spread area of less than 0.5 hectares. Meanwhile, 13.4% have a water spread area between 0.5-1 hectare, 11.1% have a water spread area between 1-5 hectares, and the remaining 3.1% have a water spread area of more than 5 hectares.
The report has provided valuable insights into the distribution, ownership, usage, and size of water bodies in the country. With water being an essential and limited resource, it is vital that concerted efforts are made to conserve and preserve these water bodies for the benefit of present and future generations. The Ministry of Jal Shakti is taking a multidimensional approach towards water management and conservation, which includes implementing various programmes and policies to ensure the safe and sustainable use of water resources in India.