With the score of 49.6 in 2016-17 Telangana is ranked 10th in overall composite water management index, despite improving its performance in water resources management when compared to previous year. According to a water index report released by NITI Aayog, Telangana is ranked among red category states with a low score that also includes Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan & Goa.
Andhra Pradesh ranked 3rd in the overall index. According to the NITI Aayog report, a high-performing state like Andhra Pradesh & medium-performing state like Telangana suffered from severe drought in recent years.
Telangana is doing well on the surface & groundwater restoration. It said Telangana restored 70% of its irrigation potential of identified bodies and 90% of critical wells. The report stated Telangana is also doing well in the urban water supply. It says 80% of urban houses have access to drinking water with 75% of them being charged for the supply.
Listing steps needed to improve the situation, the report said, Telangana has not yet begun the process of power feeder segregation and it’s one of the few states which don’t charge for borewell electricity and has negligible micro-irrigation coverage. The report said the state’s rural drinking water supply scenario needs to improve as only 55% rural habitations have been adequately covered. Besides, there has been no improvement in water quality in the rural areas, it said.
According to NITI Aayog, the state index score for the base year 2015-16 was 45.2 and it has risen to 49.6 in 2016-17. “Action taken by these states and their subsequent good performance on the Index, are driven by necessity in the face of looming water shortage. This corrective action is starting in some areas that need it the most. (sic)” the report said.
Telangana had shown the most significant improvement in irrigation potential by raising its ratio from 4% to 53%. However, it scored very low on watershed development-supply-side management, demand side management participatory irrigation practices, demand-side management of sustainable on-farm water use practices, police and governance related to water management. But it scored high on augmentation at scored and restoration of water bodies and ground water source augmentation, the report said.