SWOT ANALYSIS OF CHHATTISHGARH WATER RESOURCE DEPARTMENT

SWOT analysis (or SWOT matrix) is a strategic planning technique used to help organization or a person to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats related project planning. It is intended to specify the objectives of the business venture or project and identify the internal and external factors that are favorable and unfavorable to achieving those objectives. Strengths and weakness are frequently internally-related, while opportunities and threats commonly focus on the external environment. The name is an initialism for the four parameters the technique examines:

· Strengths: Features of the business or project that gives it an advantage over others.

· Weaknesses: Features of the business that places the business or project at a disadvantage relative to others.

· Opportunities: Elements in the environment that the business or project could exploit to its advantage.

· Threats: Elements in the environment that could cause trouble for the business or project.

STRENGTH OF CHHATTISGARH WATER RESOURCE DEPARTMENT

· PRESENCE

One of the strength of CGWRD is the statewide presence. The offices have been established in the district of the state depending upon the irrigation systems. The department has proximity to even the interior and naxalite affected blocks such as Narayanpur, konta, Sukma etc of Bastar district. The presences of departmental offices in these areas show the government’s commitment for the development of Water Resources Projects in the State.

· TECHNICAL EXPERTISE

Strength of CGWRD is the technical expertise that it possesses. CGWRD has large number of Senior Technical Personnel as compared to other technical departments.

· GOVERNMENT PARTOAGE

CGWRD has government support due to its functions. Being a government department the supply of surface and underground water is not being charged on actual basis but it is provided on heavy subsidy. There is no overlap in providing services for irrigation development in the state from other institutions.

· ORGANISATIONS EXISTENCE

CGWRD has been in existence since long. First office for irrigation works were established 150 years ago by PWD Engineers for providing basic irrigation facilities to the area. Initially irrigation system was part of Madhya Pradesh/ Chhattisgarh Public Works Department (MP-CG PWD) later on after independence it was established as independent irrigation department due to importance of irrigation of water for agriculture. The department is very high on the learning curve in terms of technical challenges it faces in its line function.

· DOCUMENT STANDARD and PROCEDURES

The department has well established documented standards and procedures for it’s functioning. The department has Irrigation Manual of various Orders, issued from time to time which is a collection of readymade guidance for the personnel working in the department. It consists of financials rules, administrative rules, duties and functioning of various functionaries updated time to time in accordance to policies and orders of Government of Chhattisgarh.

WEAKNESS OF CHHATTISGARH WATER RESOURCE DEPARTMENT

· FINANCIAL RESOURCES

The Irrigation Department lacks financial resources to fund the implementation of new schemes. Because of welfare scheme of the state policy the inflow of revenue is much less in comparison to actual expenditure on it. CGWRD is dependent on the government for funds allocation for its functioning.

· INERTIA

CGWRD is a well-established department having certain norm, procedure and culture, which need lot of up gradation. The average age of employees is also high. It is very difficult to change the practices and culture of such a large and old department at all levels just by persuasion. It requires continuous efforts in training and education.

· MODERNISATION

The department lags in modernizing itself at appropriate times. The working of the department is largely manual. This affects the functioning and efficiency of the department and its manpower. Lack of effective communication systems delays the process of decision-making and interdepartmental relationship is also adversely affected.

· GOVERNMENT PARTOAGE

Government is involved in allocating funds to the department, in framing policies for the department and in taking strategic decisions for the department. There is lack of continuity in the implementation of decisions due to frequent changes in government resulting into change of priorities.

· GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION

CGWRD works mainly in the rural areas where it has to deal with the resistance and illegal interference of local politics and social bindings

· MAN PAOWER

Factors like creation of Madhya Pradesh and because of financial constraints new projects are not coming up, has resulted into decrease of ratio of CGWRD’s volume of work and manpower.

· HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

Despite CGWRD’s work being largely of technical nature, there is dearth of opportunity for employees to upgrade their knowledge and skills. There is lack of thrust for knowledge and skill up gradation.

· COORDINATION WITH OTHER BODIES

Co-ordination among various Government departments, agencies and external bodies is lacking due to non-interaction and non-up gradation of present communication system.

· ENVIORNMENTAL ISSUES

In Chhattisgarh as forest cover is around 45%, large number of projects requires acquisition of forest land, which raises environmental issues and lengthy procedures requiring clearance of projects. The projects are delayed and sometimes even abandoned due to this issue.

· LAND ACQUSITION

Farmers/Villagers are not willing to give land for Irrigation Projects, as in Irrigation Projects majority of the affected landowners are not directly benefitted. Landowners falling in Dam Area, Submergence area and initial Canal Reaches are not benefitted in terms of Irrigation as such there is considerable resistance by the land owners during land acquisition process. Small land holdings, employment opportunities increased cost of land also creates unwillingness of peoples to allow land acquisition.

OPPORTUNITIES OF CHHATTISGARH WATER RESOURCE DEPARTMENT

· GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION

The state of Chhattisgarh has been endowed with rich water availability. CGWRD can leverage this by consumptive use of water and implementation of modern technique to provide better services.

· MODERNISATION

CG is still lagging behind some of the other states in implementation of modern tools and techniques. A scope exists in CGWRD also for modernization.

· SOCIAL AND NON SOCIAL FACTORS

There are few factors that are exclusive to this part of the country impeded the functioning of CGWRD.There is scope for CGWRD to provide better services after improvement in social and non-social factors (by providing hygienic drinking water, by increase in water levels of wells and hand pumps, by increase in literacy rates, by increase in electric power availability in villages, setting up of industries requiring water in large quantities etc.)

· WIDESPREAD IMPLEMENTATION OF SCHEMES OF THE IRRIGATION DEPARTMENT

The Irrigation Department has an opportunity to have a state wide spread and reach, for implementation of its schemes, due to its presence in every district of the state.CGWRD can be utilised as conduit for providing value-added services and schemes.Development of agro-based industry and providing work to poor and landless people residing in the most interior places in countryside.Development of water Reservoir for Drinking and Industrial Water.In future there will be requirement of large quantity of water for drinking and Industrial water. Industrial Projects require large quantity of water. As Industrial Development is fast in Chhattisgarh, development of Water Resources is essential for economic development of the State.The Department could plan projects for meeting Industrial Demand of water which will generate revenue for WRD which in turn shall be deployed for development of Irrigation projects for Irrigation Purposes.

THREATS OF CHHATTISGARH WATER RESOURCE DEPARTMENT

· RESOURCES

CGWRD may not get the required resources due to continued resource crunch with the Government of CG.

· EXPECTATIONS

Development in other states would increase the expectation of the stakeholders of CGWRD. CGWRD may not be able to meet the increased expectations of stakeholders, such as CG Government.

· WATER AVAILABILITY

Creation of state of Madhya Pradesh may affect desired water availability at appropriate time, as important rivers like Narmada, Tapti, Chambal and Kolar etc. are located in M.P.

· INTERFERENCE IN IRRIGATION SYSTEM

Local politics and personal enmity among water users causes damage to canal systems, tube wells,hand pumps and other irrigation infrastructure.

· POPULATION GROWTH

Difficult to cater the increasing water needs because of increasing population.

· LAND ACQUISITION

Major threat for irrigation projects is Land Acquisition. There has been considerable increase in cost of land which will now increase two to four times as per recent Land Acquisition Bill passed by Central Government. This increase in compensation of land will increase Project cost considerably thereby decreasing BC Ratio of the projects considerably. As Water rates for Irrigation Projects are considerably less, the benefits of Project shall be counted by considering the Market rates i.e. Industrial rates of Water.

· DEGRADTION OF GROUND WATER

Due to lowering of Ground Water Table it is observed that water bodies of rural areas are dry in January-February itself. This in turn creates problem for drinking water and Nistari purposed, resulting in release of water from Irrigation Projects for Nistari purposes in March and April. As such government shall plan to execute Water Conservation Projects on top priority so that Irrigation Projects are not forced to release water for Nistari purposes.

CONCLUSION:

From the above content we come to the conclusion that though there is some weakness of CGWRD still the department is making best of its efforts to provide water resource to agriculture for irrigation, to industries, to Municipal Corporation. Department must make efforts for sustainable usage of water resource. They must use environment friendly technique.

REFERENCES:

http://www.cgwrd.in/

Cost benefit analysis of major medium and minor irrigation projects in Chhattisgarh by Dr Anita Dikshit.

Received on 12.06.2018 Modified on 19.07.2018

Int. J. Rev. and Res. Social Sci. 2018; 6(4): 475-478 .

DOI: 10.5958/2454-2687.2018.00045.X