Sustainable Water Resources Development through Integrated Water Management in Tamil Nadu, India

If the per capita annual water resources of a country is less than 1,700m3, such countries are considered under water stress as per the global water resources standard and if it is less than 1000m3 such countries are considered under water scarcity. Since the per capita annual water resource of Tamil Nadu State, stands at 693 m3, this state is ‘a water scarcity state’ in the water rich India. In the event of persistence of the present situation with no intervention, this may decline further to 405m3, during 2050; compelling the people of the state, to lead a miserable life with 76.18 per cent deficit of water against the present 59.29 per cent. Also with the poor water resources during 2050, the situation may impose to produce food grain to provide only one meal in a day if the required quantity of water resources for the healthy life of this state is not generated. Strategies through 1. Improving water position by way of i. Rainwater harvesting, ii. Artificial groundwater recharges, iii. Treating and recycling the domestic and industrial waste waters iv. Desalination of saline or seawater to meet the domestic demands, v. Developing groundwater resources in the coastal area aquifers by keeping at least one foot of fresh water column above mean sea level, vi. Intra - basin transfer of water, vii. Inter basin transfer of water, viii. Virtual water import and transport to the water scarcity regions and basins to meet the requirement of food and other water embedded products & 2. Through water saving by i. Adopting micro irrigation practices, ii. Increasing the water price for reasonable water consumption, iii. Cultivation shift with dry crops replacing high water consuming crops, v. More crop per drop approach by enhancing the irrigation efficiency etc. These integrated water resources management approaches could undeniably fetch fruitful relief to the grim situation of water resources of the state, interlinking the surplus Indian rivers will be a permanent solution to the water starved states besides avoiding flood damage and curtailing water reaching sea wastefully.