Chief Engineer-cum-Nodal Officer (NHP) WRD, Hotovi Ayemi speaking during the inaugural programme of training in Kohima on November 28. (DIPR Photo)
Kohima, November 28 (MExN): The inaugural programme of a five-day training programme on ‘Application of Water Accounting Plus (WA+) Tool for Water Resources Management’ under National Hydrology Project (NHP) was held at the Conference Hall of State Data Centre, Chief Engineer Office, Water Resources Department (WRD), Kohima on November 28.
According to a DIPR report, the Chief Engineer-cum-Nodal Officer (NHP) WRD, Er Hotovi Ayemi said that the training on WA+ is the first-of-its-kind to be conducted in the State and it is of utmost importance so that people can evaluate, manage, and assess the water resources in the State.
Er Wapagnaro, Executive Engineer, WRD, Nagaland said that lack of water information and consensus hinders reforms. She said that WA+ serves as a tool to evaluate and plan Water Resources Management, monitor changes in water resources, and assess the impacts of future interventions.
“So, this training is useful for the planning and management of water resources in Nagaland as it gives an accurate estimate of water availability and it provides an informed decision for the water planners in a basin or state,” she stated.
In the absence of data or data scarcity particularly for regions like Nagaland state with hilly terrain, this tool becomes more important, she added.
Dr PK Singh, Scientist D from the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee said that WA+ system is a python-based tool and utilises freely available, open-access data and satellite information to estimate the water resources. It provides information on water withdrawal and utilization, water and land productivity, and agricultural water consumption in the form of standardized Factsheets.
NHP is being implemented in the state of Nagaland and the National Institute of Hydrology (NIH), Roorkee in association with WRD, Kohima is conducting a study on the ‘Application of Water Accounting Plus tool in the state of Nagaland,’ the DIPR report stated.
This capacity-building programme is intended to improve the skills of Officials from the WRD, Nagaland, and to make them acquainted with the WA+ tool and independently run its applications in the state. Dr PK Mishra, Scientist D, and Dr PK Singh, Scientist D from NIH, Roorkee are the resource persons providing the training on WA+ to 17 participants from the department.
