निर्देशक का संदेश

The National Institute of Hydrology (NIH) is a premier Research and Development organization under the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS), Government of India. NIH was established as an autonomous society in 1978 with its headquarters at Roorkee. The main objectives of the Institute are to undertake, aid, promote and coordinate systematic and scientific work in all aspects of hydrology. The Institute was declared a Science and Technology (S&T) Organization in 1987.

Some key strengths of the Institute are:

1. With its headquarters at Roorkee and Regional Centres at Belagavi, Guwahati, Kakinada, Bhopal, Jammu, Jodhpur and Centre for flood studies at Patna, NIH has a national presence and perspective.
2. NIH presently has80 scientists with a wide array of expertize, covering almost all facets of hydrology.
3. With the galaxy of highly competent scientists with expertise in various facets of hydrology and water resources, supported by very able and dedicated scientific and project staff, and close links with field and academic community, NIH is taking up challenging tasks in water sector and serving the nation.
4. The Institute has established several laboratories in the campus including NABL certified Water Quality laboratory, Nuclear Hydrology Laboratory, Soil Water Laboratory, and Remote Sensing & GIS Laboratory with state-of-art equipment and softwares.

Some of the major activities and achievements of the Institute since its establishment include:

• Research findings by the Institute are presented on various platforms including international/national conferences, seminars workshops etc. In addition, these findings are published as research papers in reputed international and national journals. They are also being published in the form of Institute Technical Reports and are also being circulated in the form of short videos.
• Publications brought out by the Institute in the form of technical reports, brochures, leaflets, state-of-art reports etc. are widely circulated to various user agencies in India as well as abroad, enriching hydrologic literature and knowledge.
• A number of sponsored research and consultancy projects are regularly taken up by the institute, which help in solving several real-life problems.
• Software and Apps developed by the institute for data analysis and design are being used by. organisations across India to solve various practical problems.
• A Centre for Cryosphere and Climate Change Studies (C4S) has been created in the institute to study the interactions between climate and cryosphere and impact of climate change on water availability in Himalayan rivers. The centre has established a Cryosphere and Climate Research Laboratory (CCRL).
• A dedicated Cell for Spring Studies (CeSS) has been established at the Institute to accelerate research on spring hydrology. The cell has developed operational guidelines, along with web and mobile applications to facilitate the First Spring Census of the Country.
• A number of short-duration courses and/or training programs are being regularly organised by the scientists for field engineers, scientists, researchers and NGOsto disseminate the knowledge of latest tools and technologies in the domain of hydrology and water resources.
• A number of international and national conferences, workshops, and brainstorming sessions are organised by the institute on regular basis.
• Scientists of the Institute have received a number of awards and appreciation for publishing/presenting their research in various forums, societies and several national and international conferences.
• NIH has signed MoU’s with several national and international institutes for knowledge and technology transfer.
• NIH has been the lead agency of National Hydrology Project (NHP), and earlier concluded Hydrology Projects I & II aided by the World Bank. NIH played a key role in setting up a Centre for Hydrological Modelling under NHP.
• NIH has been actively involved in various collaborative projects funded by international organizations including two UNDP projects, WAMTARA project, European Community funded SHE Model project, and USAID funded Paleo-flood studies. NIH has closely worked with UNESCO; IAEA Vienna; Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, UK; British Geological Survey, HTWD, Germany; British High Commission, UK; University of IOWA, . University of Paris, . etc
• Scientists of the institute have contributed substantially to the standards being developed by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). The Institute is also contributing significantly to the various issues being referred by NGT.
• The Institute is providing secretariat to the Indian National Committee on Climate Change (INCCC), an R&D program of MoJS. The Institute is also providing Secretariat to the Indian Association of Hydrologists.
• The Institute also performs various outreach activities like exhibitions, mass awareness in schools/villages/general public, etc. Institute has organized a number of mass awareness activities for women, villagers and students. The Institute has also launched various campaigns for water conservation and management through the electronic and print media.

The basic and applied research projects taken up by the institute are executed by very innovative, dynamic and focused team of scientists. Through its strategic planning and dedicated efforts of its scientists with due support from the scientific, technical and administrative staff, NIH has now established itself not only as a premier research institute of the Government of India but also as Institute of International repute. It has acquired a leadership role in the domain of hydrology and water resources in India. To address the burning issues of the impacts of changing climate on regional hydrology and hydrological extremes, NIH has entered the domain of cryosphere and climate change studies. The future prospects of NIH are tremendous and hinge on its ability to lead innovative hydrological research, integrate advanced technologies like remote sensing & GIS, isotope applications, modelling and AI, and address pressing challenges in water sustainability, climate change impacts, and integrated basin-scale water management in India and beyond.

NIH is looking forward to further strengthen the collaboration with different organizations under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India, and other academic and R&D institutes across the country. NIH also strives to continue working in collaboration with various International Organizations working in the domains of hydrology, cryosphere, and climate change to address current and emerging issues in sustainable development of water resources and its management.

Dr. Y.R.S Rao
Director