State Water Informatics Centre (SWIC)
NWIC is encouraging and supporting states to establish State Water Informatics Centres (SWIC) with the goal of optimising the use of water data within states and adding value to existing data through standardisation, increased interoperability, improved data validation and integration of latest technologies and GIS framework.
The basic objective of establishing SWIC is to empower states with digital, validated, on-line water resources information system required for better planning and management of water resources at State level and simultaneously to feed the central system for basin and regional level policy planning and taking strategic decisions based on authentic data analytics.
The establishment of SWIC will help states in:
- Policy formulation for scientific management of water resources and related aspects of the state
- Strategic Decision making
- Modelling activities and development of analytical tools
- Development of decision support systems and other knowledge products related to water.
- Overall water resources management and planning in the respective states.
Major roles of NWIC in establishing SWIC will be:
I. Standardization of data and GIS layers
II. Sharing & Integration of data with states
III. Common validation tools
IV. Production Environment Hosting platforms (servers and cloud requirement)
V. Development of generic reports, Visualization and Dashboards
VI. Common licenses, software for GIS and databases
VII. Development of generic applications and DSS
States have been grouped into two categories based on current progress made by different states in setting up centralized geospatial IT platforms for collection and dissemination of water data:
Model-I States are in the process of developing IT systems/ State-WRIS, and Model -II States are already online i.e. the States which have already established a fully featured WRIS platform.
NWIC prepared a framework document for the establishment of SWIC which is shared with all NHP implementing agencies through webinars and provides individual training to State Officials. The document outlined the need, scope and responsibilities of SWIC and NWIC’s role in its establishment. The infrastructure requirement, recommendations on organizational structure and way forward for the establishment of SWIC were also covered in this document.
NWIC will handhold the states during all the stages of establishment of SWIC and the development of State-Water Resources Information System (State-WRIS) by providing technical guidance and support during SWIC.
