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Recognising
the need for catering to the R&D needs
in the field of water management, the Centre
for Water Resources Development and Management
(CWRDM) was established as an autonomous
research organisation by the Government
of Kerala, under its Science and Technology
Policy in February 1978. Two of the important
personalities behind the establishment of
this institute were Shri C Achutha Menon,
former Chief Minister of Kerala and Dr P
K Gopalakrishnan, former Secretary to the
Government of Kerala, both of revered memory.
The Centre had a steady growth along with
its other sister institutes under the umbrella
of the State Committee on Science, Technology
and Environment.
The
Centre originally established at Thiruvananthapuram
was shifted to the present 35 ha-campus at Calicut
in 1979. The main building at the headquarters,
completed in 1988, has 7000 sq m plinth area.
In addition to this, there are separate buildings
to house the isotope hydrology lab, hostels for
trainees and canteen. Today, around
50 families of the staff are residing in the quarters
constructed in the campus.
 Dr
C M Jacob, the former Vice-Chancellor of the Kerala
Agricultural University, was the founder Director
of the Centre. The Centre initially had six scientific
divisions, dealing with surface water, ground
water, water management-agriculture, water quality
and environment, education and extension, and
library and documentation. After a decade, scientific
divisions to deal with computer applications and
isotope hydrology have been added to the earlier
list. In order to cater to the requirements of
main areas of research, certain central facilities
like water analysis laboratory, cartography, reprography,
manned observation stations, remote sensing cell
and a museum have also been established. To take
care of the special R&D needs of different
hydro-ecologic regions of Kerala, five regional
centres are also in operation since 1990.
The
Centre has substantially contributed to the scientific
hydrologic studies and water management in the
region. The projects of CWRDM were funded by different
departments and agencies of the Central and State
Governments in addition to the international agencies
like UNDP, UNEP, World Bank, USAID, NAS (US),
JBIC, ICEF, etc. Starting with the establishment
of a data management system for the region, the
Centre tackled different problems pertaining to
forest and urban hydrology, estuarine management,
groundwater development, water quality management,
water-related environmental issues, wetland management,
watershed development, agriculture water management,
irrigation and drainage issues, etc. Several tools
like mathematical modelling, systems approach,
isotope hydrology and remote sensing techniques
were made use of in the studies during the 1990s.
More than 2000 scientific papers and 500 research
reports were brought out based on these studies.
The hydrologic data generated by CWRDM are expected
to be of immense use to the water managers of Kerala.
CWRDM
has played a key role in supporting the Kerala
Government in sorting out several water management
issues. The draft water policy of Kerala, adopted
in 1992, was prepared by CWRDM. The government
sought the advice of the Centre on several inter-State
water issues. The basic proposal leading to the
Dutch-funded KCIP project and EC-funded KMIP project
were drawn up by CWRDM. A few of the water resources
projects of the State were made environment-friendly
by CWRDM. The Centre initiated the JBIC-funded
eco-restoration project of Attappady and ICEF-funded
drinking water project in Lakshadweep, and carried
out consultancy works for the Kerala Forestry
Project and Kerala Rural Water Supply and Sanitation
Project funded by the World Bank, and the Dutch-funded
water supply project utilising the water of Bharathapuzha.
The
CWRDM is one among the Water and Land Management
Institutes (WALMIs) started in 1990 by the Ministry
of Water Resources, Government of India under
the WRMTP, funded by USAID. Around 3000 government
officials and thousands of farmers were trained
in the Centre. Training on watershed management
was also conducted at CWRDM for the Panchayats
of northern Kerala. Several national level training
programs on irrigation management, watershed development,
and wetland management were conducted in CWRDM,
in addition to providing training and research
opportunities for students and research scholars.
The Centre had academic and research linkages
with Universities of Srathyclyde, Birmingham,
Koyota, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UK),
Hydraulic Research Station (UK), Danish Institute,
etc; in addition, it had common programmes with
IITs, NITs and Universities in India.
The
Centre was amalgamated with the Kerala State Council
for Science, Technology and Environment in its
Silver Jubilee Year-2003. Dr Nandeswar M.D., is the present
Executive Director for the centre. |
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