[Assam] [WaterWatch] Need for a paradigm shift in groundwater governance

[mc mahant]

Dear Nitya Jacob,
A Shannon Dam is a self-Operating Open or Shut gate  which is  used extensively in small irrigation canals/Rivers/Streams--may be nowhere in India.
 
No Power Supply-no operator- no Consumables. Works  and works-- never tires.
 
Can be fabricated from Timber/Bamboo/SheetMetal/Ferrocement .
Operation is due to moment arm around a  horizontal Fulcrum axle.
The FULCRUM axle allows the Shannon Dam to Flip to Open position  if the water level difference moment  exceeds a set level.
It remains open that way till the downstream and Upstream levels come quite close. At that time  the Dam Flips SHUT. 
 
Back of dam water level begins to rise . If  sometime later the  the downstream drains  out ,( again controlled by   at a certain level difference)  Shannon dam will FLIP open . By designing Level differences for open and Shut, you can have the  stream  always partly  full   with predictable levels of water.
 
 53 yrs back I remember doing this kind of hydraulics force problems in our 2nd year Mechanics  class at IIT KGP.
 
You should get  more in Google/Wiki. If you can't,-- ask--I shall try digging up.
 
If you have the local stream  full (rivers  Always flow DOWN)  12 months a year ,  ground  recharging is automatic. 80% of rivers' flows end up in the sea - unused. 
Shannon Dams-- all sizes ---is our future!
 
Let the name DAM scare nobody off.
BR
MM


Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2008 01:34:12 -0700From: nityajacob at yahoo.comSubject: Re: [WaterWatch] Need for a paradigm shift in groundwater governanceTo: mikemahant at hotmail.com




Dear Mr MahantThanks for the comments. I plan to post them on Solution Exchange as well with your permission, after editing them somewhat. I will send you the edited version. Can you please elaborate on the Shannon dams and how they fit in with community-managed groundwater management. Rural has not been used paternalistically but to set the context. RegardsNitya
----- Original Message ----From: mc mahant <mikemahant at hotmail.com>To: waterwatch at yahoogroups.com; nityajacob at yahoo.com; assam at assamnet.orgSent: Wednesday, March 19, 2008 8:09:50 AMSubject: RE: [WaterWatch] Need for a paradigm shift in groundwater governance

<Groundwater in India is the life line for Indian agriculture and formeeting the rural drinking water needs. Over the years surface waterbased sources have become unreliable due to preferential transfer ofsurface water to urban cities>Dear Nitya Jacob,May I add a few thoughts to your well -arrived -at  observations:

life line for Indian agriculture: --- this lifeline can not eternally feed you without recharging.As RAIN  cannot recharge enough -- you have to dam all  rivers  simply at 1m elevation differences with Shannon Dams-locally built with 100%local initiative-- not Delhi sending Central Ground Water Board. This will ensure 365x24 availability of water in the rivers-small and big-->fish.ducks>birds>boating>angling--. And effectively recharge  the riverside Ground  with water!!
rural drinking water needs:  if majority India is Rural -- do not use the 'rural' paternalistically. Bring Technology to everybody. Please visit my site--www.innovation2survive.com-- all there.
become unreliable due to preferential transfer ofsurface water to urban cities>  -You mean gone the way Ganga Yamuna has?  REVERSAL is the way out .All possible. Where there is a will,  there is a way. Your urban cities>  do not need fond protection any more. They Go Green or perish .mm 
To: WaterWatch at yahoogroups.comFrom: nityajacob at yahoo.comDate: Tue, 18 Mar 2008 08:40:45 +0000Subject: [WaterWatch] Need for a paradigm shift in groundwater governance

Dear Members,I work as Director, Operations, in the Andhra Pradesh Farmer ManagedGroundwater Systems (APFAMGS) Project's, that operates on the keypremise that behavioral change is necessary for voluntary selfregulation. APFAMGS is a partnership with farmers for implementingDemand Side Groundwater Management. In seven drought prone districtsof Andhra Pradesh, India, thousands of farmers in 638 habitations havetaken the lead to reduce exploitation of groundwater. During the Visioning Workshop of the Water Community last year, we haddiscussed the need for a paradigm shift in groundwater governancebased on community participation. This will ensure sustainability ofgroundwater as well food and livelihood security of rural communities.It was suggested that we collate information on examples of where thishas happened to evolve a working model that could be taken up byinterested parties in other areas of the country.Groundwater in India is the life line for Indian agriculture and formeeting the rural drinking water needs. Over the years surface waterbased sources have become unreliable due to preferential transfer ofsurface water to urban cities. Likewise surface irrigation sources arefast declining and currently more than 65% of farmers have come todepend on the unseen subsurface water for all their drinking water,irrigation and cottage industry water needs. Thus Groundwater emerged as the principle drinking water andirrigation source which has reached to untouched and environmentallydifficult terrains. Expansion of groundwater development will continueto play a lead role in meeting drinking water supply, healthsanitation and food security needs. Evidence indicates that access toprotected drinking water and irrigation needs generate many positiveexternalities in the overall household micro-economy. Thus thereliability and sustainability of groundwater sources is emerging as acritical parameter in socio economic and irrigation development.Overdependence on groundwater is a grave risk, as its continuedavailability in required quantity and quality is closely linked to themanagement of the rainfall received, quantity of water harvested,recharged, quantity of fertilizer, pesticide uses and more criticallythe handling of the industrial and domestic waste water againstpolluting the aquifers. Groundwater management is still considered the purview of thegovernment, while all investments towards groundwater development havebeen privately funded. Governance continues to be driven byregulations rather than rational understanding of the groundrealities. Groundwater acts passed by the different states have nottaken off due to difficulties in field level implementation. Thisstalemate needs to be broken and viable alternatives need to beexplored. Continued delay will directly affect rural drinking water,sanitation, health and food production. With the issues of ClimateChange knocking on our door step one cannot but paint a grim pictureof the future of groundwater availability.Number of alternative approaches on water governance need to beexplored by International funding agencies and UN partners involvedwith rural drinking water, sanitation, health , food and nutrition. The FAO-funded Andhra Pradesh Farmers Managed Groundwater systems(APFAMGS) Project is an enabling intervention for reinforcing theinternal strength and coping mechanism of groundwater dependentcommunities through new knowledge and skills to collect data ongroundwater, rainfall and water use for different crops to explore andfind out stable solution to the issues of managing ground waterdepletion through self regulation. The project integrates scientifictechnology with social transformation, women's economic empowermentand institutional change. Over four years of involvement with thecommunity has led to reduced groundwater pumping (without coercion)for agricultural use (principle water use) to impact the totalgroundwater draft in 19 of the 31 Hydrological Units spread over 7districts in the state of Andhra Pradesh. A 50% reduction in areaunder paddy from 10915 acres to less than 5000 acres has beenwitnessed. Adopted crop diversification and improved economic returnsper unit of water pumped. Overall improvement in drinking wateravailability, reduced groundwater pollution, improved food andnutrition status and set into motion new groundwater governance thatis acceptable while taking care of individual needs.To this end, the e-discussion will attempt to identify the variousoptions for ensuring groundwater sustainability and governance withcommunity participation that can be built into drinking water, health,sanitation, food and nutrition programmes. Specifically, members maylike to respond to the following:1. What models are members aware of for community-managed groundwaterresources? Are there case studies available that describe theapproach, results and lessons learned?2. What are your own experiences with these models? For example, canyou describe problems they faced and how were they overcome? Whatsuggestions would you give to someone interested in starting up asimilar initiative?3. Do you know of cases where groundwater laws have been adopted andadapted by communities? Why did the community pick a particular law?What aspects were modified and used, and why? What were experienceswith the process of adoption/adaptation ?Members are also invited to study the APFAMGS field areas whileexploring other alternatives. The model evolved from this action groupwill be shared with the Community members.K A S ManiProject Leader Andhra Pradesh Farmers Managed Groundwater Project (APFAMGS)Hyderabadwww.apfamgs. org__._,_.___ 
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