First-ever Waterbody census report: The Jal Shakti Ministry, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has released the report of its first-ever “Waterbodies Census” highlighting the crucial insights into the country’s water resources. The census referred a waterbody as the surrounding body like ponds, tanks, lakes and reservoirs for storing water for various purposes such as irrigation, drinking supply, industrial use e.t.c. According to the census, West Bengal topped the list of state with the most reservoirs and ponds in the country and Sikkim the least. The waterbodies census was conducted in accordance with the 6th Minor irrigation Census for the reference year 2017-18.
The aim of this census is to create a comprehensive national database of all India’s water bodies including natural and man-made water bodies and collecting useful parameters such as their use, size, storage capacity and level of encroachment.
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First-ever Waterbody census report: About the Report
- The census listed a total of 24,24,540 water bodies across the country with the West Bengal accounting the most (7.47 lakh) and Sikkim the least (134).
- Most of the waterbodies surveyed are Ponds, tanks, no. of reservoirs, water conservation schemes, percolation tanks, check dams, lakes e.t.c.
- According to the report by the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
- West Bengal topped the list among the list of “Ponds and Reservoirs”.
- South 24 Parganas (West Bengal) has been ranked as the top district having the highest (3.55 lakh) “number of waterbodies” in the country.
- Andhra Pradesh has the “highest number of tanks”.
- Tamil Nadu has the “highest number of lakes”.
- Maharashtra topped the list in the “Water Conservation Schemes”.
- The report highlights that 97.1% of the waterbodies are in rural areas, with only 2.9% in urban areas.
- For the first time, The census also collected data on the encroachment of waterbodies revealing the encroachment of 1.6% of waterbodies, 4% of encroached waterbodies in rural areas, 4.6% in urban areas, 8% of encroached waterbodies having less than 25% area under encroachment, 8% of waterbodies have more than 75% area under encroachment. First-ever Waterbody census report