National Hydrology Project (NHP) was started in the year 2016 with an aim of improving the accessibility extent, and reliability of information related to water resources and to increase the capacity of selected water resource management institutes in the country.
It serves as a one-point platform for all states to collaborate and share data related to water resources.
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The project outlay is fixed at Rs 3680 Crore, which is to be spent over a period of 8 years.
It is a Central Sector Scheme with 100% grant to the implementing agencies.
A Loan agreement pertaining to the project was also signed with the World Bank in the year 2017.
The project aims to collect various data, generate the new database, and provide web-enabled information. It also provides tools to create value-added maps and a Decision support system for floods.
Under the NHP, National Water informatics Centre (NWIC), a nationwide repository of the data of water resources has been established.
This nation-wide water resources data repository works as a Subordinate Office under the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
The focus of NHP is on establishing a real-time data acquisition system (RTDAS) on pan India basis.
As of 16th December, contracts for establishing 6500 real-time hydro-meteorological (hydrological – measuring water level and discharge and meteorological – measuring rainfall and other weather parameters) stations have been awarded. Out of these stations, 1900 stations have been installed.
Central Sector Scheme
The Government of India classifies the welfare schemes into two categories namely Central Sector Schemes and Centrally Sponsored Schemes. As the name suggests, the central sector schemes are fully funded by the central government while the centrally sponsored schemes have partial funding by the central government.
Ministry of Jal Shakti
Ministry of Jal Shakti was formed in the year 2019 by merging the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation and the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation. The Ministry has been formed with the major aim of cleaning the River Ganga.
