India has a vast network of water bodies, including ponds, wetlands, rivers, and lakes. These bodies of water are essential for the country’s biodiversity, millions of people’s livelihoods, and the fulfilment of many different human needs, including home usage, industry, and agriculture. Nevertheless, despite their significance, systematic information on the condition of India’s water bodies has been lacking, particularly at the national level. The Indian government has conducted the nation’s first-ever water bodies census, utilising cutting-edge satellite imagery and GIS technologies to close this gap. The census has produced some crucial discoveries that shed light on the condition and administration of India’s water resources.
The National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), a prestigious organisation under the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which specialises in remote sensing, GIS, and geospatial technology applications, conducted the census of water bodies. The census included all bodies of water with a minimum area of 0.01 hectares throughout India, including rivers, lakes, ponds, reservoirs, tanks, and wetlands. The pre-monsoon season, when the water bodies are at their greatest, was covered by the census conducted between January and May 2022. Before being made public, several government and academic organisations analysed and verified the census data.
Key Findings: Bengal Tops and Sikkim at Bottom
According to the census, West Bengal has 7.47 lakh more water bodies than any other state in India. This represents nearly one-third of all the water bodies in the nation. West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, and Tamil Nadu are the top five states with the most water bodies. On the other side, Sikkim has the fewest water bodies, with only 134 total.
Interestingly, only 2.9%, or 69,485 water bodies, of the nation’s 24.24 lakh total are in metropolitan regions. Instead, 97.1%, or 23.55 lakh, are found in rural areas. Ponds make up the majority of India’s water bodies, making up 59.5% of the total, with tanks coming in second at 15.7%, reservoirs coming in third at 12.1%, water conservation programs/percolation tanks/check dams coming in ninth at 9.3% lakes coming in last at 0.9%, and others coming in at 2.5%.
Regarding specific bodies of water, Andhra Pradesh has the most tanks, while Tamil Nadu has the most lakes. According to the census, Maharashtra is the top-performing state in executing water conservation plans. The census also sheds light on the ownership of water bodies, with 55.2% owned by private entities and 44.8% in the public domain. Interestingly, the census also collected information on the encroachment of water bodies for the first time, revealing that 1.6% of water bodies are encroached, with 95.4% in rural areas and 4.6% in urban areas.
Furthermore, the census found that 83.7% of water bodies are used for purposes such as pisciculture, irrigation, groundwater recharge, and domestic/drinking. This highlights the importance of water bodies in supporting rural livelihoods and meeting various human needs. The Census of Water Bodies by the Ministry of Jal Shakti has provided crucial data on the state of water bodies in India.
