Research-driven Plans for
Resilient Water Systems

Composite Water Resource Management (CWRM) in Panchayats

Composite Water Resource Management (CWRM) is a structured, scientific, and community-focused approach designed to evaluate, conserve, utilize, and sustainably manage all water resources within a Panchayat. This includes surface water, groundwater, rainwater, soil moisture, irrigation systems, and environmental water flows.

The goal of CWRM is to ensure that every Panchayat achieves long-term water security, supports sustainable agriculture, and strengthens its ability to face climate-related risks such as drought, floods, and unpredictable rainfall.

Understanding CWRM

CWRM studies
  • Natural resources (rainfall, soil, aquifers, rivers, ponds, tanks)
  • Human usage patterns (agriculture, drinking water, livestock)
  • Environmental systems (watersheds, drainage lines, ecosystems)
  • Infrastructure performance (canals, check dams, borewells, OHTs)
  • Hydrological behaviour (water recharge, run-off, evaporation)
Objectives of CWRM
  • Ensure water availability for households, agriculture, and livestock
  • Improve water storage & groundwater recharge
  • Strengthen surface water bodies (ponds, tanks, canals)
  • Enhance irrigation efficiency
  • Build climate resilience
  • Promote sustainable water governance
Major Components of CWRM

Water Resource Inventory & Mapping

Water Supply & Demand Assessment

Water Balance Analysis

Water Harvesting & Conservation Interventions

Environmental & Ecological Measures

CWRM Completed for Our Panchayats – Detailed Summary

We have successfully carried out the Composite Water Resource Management (CWRM) exercise across all identified Panchayats. This initiative was designed to give every Panchayat a clear understanding of its water resources, challenges, and opportunities for sustainable development. Our work has gone beyond basic assessments—we have used scientific tools, GIS mapping, field surveys, community consultations, and technical analysis to build a complete water profile for each Panchayat.

Our Water Resource Management insights are based on verified datasets from government departments and public technical repositories. These sources help us understand the condition of water bodies, groundwater, irrigation systems, and resource pressures across Tamil Nadu. The list below provides the full set of data sources used in our analysis.

SNo.ParticleSourcePortal
1Soil profileDepartment of Agriculture (GoTN)
https://soilhealth.dac.gov.in/

National Bureau of Soil Survey (ICAR-NBSSLUP)
https://www.nbsslup.in/

2Water quality profileTWAD Board (Tamil Nadu Water Supply & Drainage Board)
https://ejalshakti.gov.in

Public Health Engineering Department
3Water harvesting and conservation (information in land use)ISRO Bhuvan – Watershed & LULC Maps
https://bhuvan.nrsc.gov.in/

4Water harvesting and conservation (land use detail of micro water shedsIndia-WRIS – Watershed Atlas
https://indiawris.gov.in/

Water harvesting and conservation (canal network)Water Resources Department (WRD), Government of Tamil Nadu
https://www.wrd.tn.gov.in

5Water requirement (status of irrigation facilities-surface water)gp/irrigation department
https://indiawris.gov.in/

Water requirement (livestock and water resource)Department of Animal Husbandry (GoTN)
https://www.tn.gov.in/department/22

Livestock Census
https://dahd.nic.in/en/statistics/livestock-census

6Ground Water ProfileCentral Ground Water Board (CGWB)
http://cgwb.gov.in/gwresource.html

7Minor irrigation structures (tanks, ponds, anicuts)Water Resources Department (WRD)
https://www.wrd.tn.gov.in

Rural Development & Panchayat Raj (for Panchayat Tanks)
https://www.tnrd.tn.gov.in/

8Water distribution for agricultureAgriculture Engineering Department (AED)
https://www.tnagrisnet.tn.gov.in

Water Resources Department (Irrigation)
https://www.wrd.tn.gov.in

9Monitoring Water Quality, Sanitation & HygieneTWAD Board (Water Quality Monitoring)
https://twadboard.tn.gov.in

Public Health Engineering Department (PHED)
State Portal

Swachh Bharat Mission – Gramin
https://swachhbharatmission.gov.in

10Afforestation ProgramsTamil Nadu Forest Department
https://forests.tn.gov.in

National Afforestation Programme
https://naeb.nic.in

11Biodiversity ManagementTamil Nadu Biodiversity Board
https://tnbb.tn.gov.in

National Biodiversity Authority
https://nbaindia.org

12Eco-restoration & Environmental ProtectionTamil Nadu Forest Department
https://forests.tn.gov.in

Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC)
https://moef.gov.in

13Water Supply & Demand AssessmentTamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB)https://tnpcb.gov.in
Central Ground Water Board (CGWB)http://cgwb.gov.in/gwresource.html
Survey of India Mapshttps://onlinemaps.surveyofindia.gov.in
TN Water Resources Department (WRD)https://www.wrd.tn.gov.in
Jal Jeevan Mission (Drinking Water Supply Data)https://ejalshakti.gov.in/jjmreport
Agriculture Department – Water Requirement for Cropshttps://agricoop.gov.in
IMD (Rainfall, Temperature, Evaporation Data)https://mausam.imd.gov.in
Census Population Datahttps://censusindia.gov.in
SECC – Socio Economic Caste Censushttps://secc.gov.in
Livestock Census (Water Demand)https://dahd.nic.in/en/statistics/livestock-census
14Water Balance AnalysisIMD (Rainfall, Evapotranspiration)https://mausam.imd.gov.in
Watershed Atlas – WRIShttps://indiawris.gov.in/wris/#/watershed
Groundwater Levels – CGWBhttp://cgwb.gov.in/gwresource.html
TN WRD – Tank & Canal Capacityhttps://www.wrd.tn.gov.in
NASA POWER Climate Datahttps://power.larc.nasa.gov
15Water Harvesting & Conservation InterventionsMGNREGA (Water Conservation Works)https://nrega.nic.in
TN WRD – Irrigation Structureshttps://www.wrd.tn.gov.in
National Water Mission (Water Conservation Guidelines)https://nwm.gov.in
WDC-PMKSY – Watershed Developmenthttps://wdcpnksy.dolr.gov.in
Bhuvan Water Resource Layershttps://bhuvan-app1.nrsc.gov.in
16Environmental & Ecological MeasuresTamil Nadu Forest Departmenthttps://forests.tn.gov.in
National Biodiversity Authorityhttps://nbaindia.org
MoEF&CC – Environment Datahttps://moef.gov.in
Soil Health Card Portalhttps://soilhealth.dac.gov.in
National Wetland Atlas (WRIS)https://indiawris.gov.in/wris/#/wetlands

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