CWMI 2.0 (Indian Express)

Mains Paper 2: Governance
Prelims level: Composite water management index
Mains level: Objectives and implications of that such index

Context

•  The composite water management index (CWMI) 2.0 was recently released by the NITI Aayog.

About the index

•  The states are ranked across 9 themes and cover 25 states and 2 union territories.
•  [It does not include data from West Bengal, Mizoram, Manipur and Jammu & Kashmir.]
•  This has been done through a first of its kind water data collection exercise.
•  It was done in partnership with the ministry of jal shakti, ministry of rural development and all the states/union territories.

Key objectives

•  The CWMI is an important tool to assess and improve the performance of states and union territories in efficient management of water resources.
•  It is an attempt to create a pan-India set of metrics that measure different dimensions of water management and use across the lifecycle of water.
•  The objective of the index is to involve all key stakeholders to understand how states can better manage water resources.
•  It provides useful information for the states and for the concerned central ministries/departments.
•  This is to enable them to formulate and implement suitable strategies for better management of water resources.

Key highlights

•  CWMI 2.0 ranks various states for the reference year 2017-18 as against the base year 2016-17.
•  Gujarat has retained its first position in the Composite Water Management Index (CWMI) 2.0 Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Goa and Karnataka have topped the CWMI 2.0 for 2017-18 among non-Himalayan states.
•  Among Himalayan states, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Tripura are on top of the index.
•  The report points out that 82% of rural households in India do not have individual piped water supply. 163 million live without access to clean water close to their homes.
•  Around 80% of the states assessed over the last 3 years have improved their water management scores, with an average improvement of 5.2 points.
•  However, 16 out of 27 states still score less than 50 points on the index, out of 100.
•  They account for 48% of the population, 40% of agricultural produce and 35% of economic output of India.

Index implications

•  States are displaying progress in water management, but the overall performance remains below what is required to tackle the challenges.
•  High-performers continue to demonstrate strong water management practices, but low-performers are struggling to cope up.
•  By 2030, India’s water demand will exceed supply by two times, indicating severe water scarcity in the country.
•  In fact, 820 million Indians living in 12 river basins have a per capita water availability close to or lower than 1,000 cubic metres.
•  This is notably the official threshold for water scarcity. The average all-India per capita water availability is expected to be 1,341 cubic metres by 2025.
•  It could touch a low of 1,140 cubic metres by 2050, close to the official water scarcity threshold.

Way forward

•  The states need to build on this momentum, and upgrade their water management practices to show outcomes and not just outputs.
•  Areas like agriculture could have a larger impact on saving water along with focusing on low performing states.
•  Several disparities exist in water management amongst states.
•  Improved knowledge-sharing amongst states can enable them to learn and solidify water management practices across the board.

  Online Coaching for UPSC PRE Exam

  General Studies Pre. Cum Mains Study Materials

Prelims Questions:

Q.1) Jabro Dance and Spawo dance, are traditional dance forms prevailing in:
a. Ladakh
b. Tawang
c. Gangtok
d. Kohima

Correct Answer: B
Mains Questions:
Q.1) What is the composite water management index? What are the key implications of it?