'Water Accounting +', developed by IHE, Delft, the Netherlands in association with IWMI is a remote sensing based framework for the assessment and reporting of water resources status. A team of 12 water professionals from various organizations under MoWR, RD&GR and NRSC have undergone training for its use. Under this programme, the WA+ framework was used for the assessment of water resources of the Cauvery basin as a test case.

After completion of the training programme, a knowledge dissemination workshop was organized at NWA, Pune on 4th September 2018. The workshop was aimed at introducing the water accounting plus (WA+) framework as a tool for integrated and independent assessment of water resources of a basin. Senior water professionals from the states of the Cauvery basin (Karnataka, Kerala, Puducherry and Tamilnadu) attended along with water experts from CWC, CGWB, NRSC, NIH and IHE, Delft. The principles and methods of the WA+ framework, various global datasets used for the water assessment and the Cauvery basin case study were discussed. The workshop also provided a platform for an open discussion among the water professionals on the WA+ framework. The participants appreciated the potential of the new tool and expressed their willingness to learn more. They also expressed eagerness to be part of water accounting exercises involving the WA+ framework.

Participants of the WA+ training programme along with the faculty members of IHE at IHE, Delft, and The Netherlands

Representatives of the National Project Management Unit (NPMU) and the Technical Assistance and Management Consultancy (TAMC) visited the Uttar Pradesh Irrigation and Water Resources Department and the UP Groundwater Department on 12 and 13 September 2018. During the visit, in which the central agencies CWC and CGWB also participated, the State agencies presented their ongoing activities and the way forward to address the water problems in Uttar Pradesh. The pending issues in the implementation of the National Hydrology Project (NHP) were analysed and solutions identified. All parties agreed that the visit provided an excellent opportunity for exchanging ideas and agreed that this dialogue should continue in the future.

Senior Officers from NPMU visiting Andhra Pradesh GW & SW and Telangana GW &SW and addressing implementation challenges together.

NPMU-TAMC visited Rajasthan during on 6 and 7 September 2018. A meeting was held with the officials of Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), Jaipur to discuss the design of the monitoring network along with concern on ground water quality and artificial recharge monitoring. The joint team of NPMU and TAMC also met with Ground Water Department (GWD) of Rajasthan regarding the ground water network. A functioning DWLR was visited and its records were checked. Three artificial recharge structures in the GWD campus were inspected. The Chemical laboratory on the GWD campus was visited. NPMU TAMC Team visited Jharkhand during the period 5-7 September 2018 to expedite the progress of implementation of NHP activities. Apart from discussing the technical issues a no. of bid documents of the Implementing agency were firmed up during the course of visit and further course of action was chalked out.

A meeting was convened at NRSC, Hyderabad on 19th September, 2018 to discuss project on “Operational Spatial Flood Early Warning Model Development for Tapi and Godavari Basins” under NHP. Senior officials, working level engineers/scientists from CWC, NRSC, and IMD, State Irrigation Departments (Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Maharastra) participated. Following points were discussed -

• National hydrology project and execution of its various components.
• Issues related to model development of Tapi and Godavari basins.
• Importance of spatial flood early warning models, data availability and support required in connection to the respective areas of Tapi and Godavari River.
• Project component on Spatial Flood Early Warning System Development - methodology adopted in the project and requirements of database from stakeholders.
• Historic flood in Tapi basin and its impact on Surat city- datasets available and support required
• Flash Flood forecasting

A team comprising officials from NPMU, CWC and TAMC visited Kerala to take a stock of the situation and met the officials from Kerala Water Resources Department, Kerala State Electricity Board to discuss the current situation and to formulate future course of action that will allow aversion of such losses in case of natural calamities of extreme order. The first meeting was organised at the office of the KWRD on 25th September under the Chairmanship of the Secretary, Kerala Water Resources Department. This was followed by the field visits to the flood affected areas of Kuttanad area, Alleppy, Thottapally Barrage, Thaneermukkom Barrage, Arangaly Gauge Site and Athirapally Gauge Site on Chalakudy River. The worst affected six districts, namely are Ernakulam (Cochin), Trichur, Idukky, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta and Kottayam. The worst affected towns were Chengannur, Pandanad, Edanad, Aranmula, Kozhencherry, Ayiroor, Ranni, Pandalam, Kuttanad, Aluva, Chalakudy, N.Paravur, Chendamangalam, Eloor and few places in Vypin Island.

The wrap up meeting was held on 27th September which was attended by officials from Kerala Water Resources Department, Kerala State Electricity Board, National Institute of Technology Calicut, and Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project Team. The need for strengthening of hydro-meteorological network, cross section surveys, reservoir sedimentation surveys, preparation of DEM, hiring of consultant etc. was stressed upon for setting up of flood forecast systems and integrated operation of reservoirs. Kerala Water Resources Department was requested to include such activities in the revised project implementation plan. NPMU team assured all possible help to Kerala in this regard.

The unprecedented flood situation in August 2018 affected 13 out of 14 districts in Kerala. The deluge caused death of more than 300 people and 13 lakh people had to be evacuated from their homes and sheltered in relief camps. Primary continuous spell of high intensity rainfall triggered the deluge. The situation further aggravated due to inadequate carrying capacity of channels coupled with releases from the dams most of which were near FRL prior to the event. The magnitude of high intensity rainfall can be gauged from the fact that for the first time in the state's history, spillway gates of 35 of its 54 dams had to be opened. At this time, most of the rivers in the state were already flowing in full, especially the Periyar and Pampa River along with its tributaries – Achankovilar and Manmalyar River. Although due to peculiar topography of the state and riven basins disposition, it was very difficult to significantly mitigate the ill effects of deluge, yet appropriate hydro-meteorological network coupled with hydrological/ hydraulic modelling system and existence of operating rules of reservoirs from flood angle would definitely have, reduced the impact of the floods. The NHP, with one of its main objective of improving capacity at water resource management institutions in India, offered the required support to Kerala through Kerala Water Resources Department (KWRD) – an implementing agency of NHP for future improvements in flood management and reservoir operations within the state.