Aggregate Bulk Water Entitlement : for a project/ river system/ storage facility for any irrigation season or year is the sum total of all Bulk Water Entitlements determined for the various categories.

Aggregate Water Entitlement : Aggregate Water Entitlement in the case of Irrigation is sum total of Entitlements issued to Water User Associations at distributary / branch / main canal level and in case of non irrigation is sum of Entitlements issued to various water user Entities like drinking water/ Industrial water. Irrigation Aggregate Water Entitlement can also include non irrigation Entitlements if it is hydraulically possible to make the supplies from a common point.

Allocation : in respect of a member of an irrigation Water Users Association means the portion of the seasonal or annual Entitlement determined for the Association by the River Basin Agency / Prescribed Authority allocable to the member and is arrived at by multiplying the Prescribed Unit Water Use Entitlement by the member’s holding.

Applicable Water Entitlement : in relation to a reservoir supported canal system, means the total volume of water guaranteed to be supplied to a Water User’s Association at the agreed point of supply, in any year arrived at according to the rules made under this Act by the Appropriate Authority and in the case of Minor Irrigation Projects having only one Water User’s Association, available water for irrigation at Canal Head.

Bulk water entitlements : means the volumetric entitlement for a share of the surface water resources produced by a project / river system / storage facility, for a specific category and deliverable within a specific period of time as specifically provided in the order granting the Entitlement.

Canal system : means all Canals and includes all lands commanded thereby.

Culturable Command Area (CCA) : means the area, under an Irrigation Project, which is culturable and can get irrigation facility through Canal System.

Hot Weather Season : is from the 1st of March to June 31st.

Individual Water Entitlement : means any authorization by the Prescribed Authority to use the water other than Bulk Water Entitlement of an Aggregate Bulk Water Entitlement.

Integrated State Water Plan (ISWP) : means a water plan approved by the State Water Council. (This plan will be based upon river basin plans and is currently being developed.)

Irrigation Project : means a project constructed to provide irrigation facilities to the land situated in the command area in accordance with the project reports and orders in this regard, as revised from time to time.

Kharif : is the monsoon season starting 1st July and ending 14th October

Mm3 : is a volumetric unit of measurement – Million metres cubed.

Non-Irrigation Water Supply : means water supply from an irrigation project for purposes other than irrigation and includes water supply for the purposes such as domestic, industrial, power generation, fisheries and as may be specified by the Appropriate Authority from time to time.

Normal Year : in relation to a diversion system or a reservoir based canal system means a year in which the water availability at the head works (including the water that is allowed to be lifted from the reservoir and losses there from)is as envisaged in the Irrigation Project Report or as revised subsequently by the State Government.

Prescribed Unit Water Entitlements : in relation to a reservoir based canal system means the total volume of water i.e. available in an irrigation year or season per hectare of Culturable Command Area (CCA) at the point of supply to the Water Users Association, arrived at after considering prior sanction for non irrigation purposes and all losses and gains from the canal system in a normal year”.

Quota : in relation to a reservoir supported canal system means the total volume of water guaranteed to be supplied to a Water Users Association at the agreed point of supply in any irrigation year or season derived according to the rules made under this Act by the Prescribed Authority and in case of minor irrigation projects having only one Water Users Association, available water for irrigation at Canal Head.

Rabi : the season starting 15th October and ending at the end February.

Reservoir based canal system : means a canal system where certain percent of the volume of water as specified by the Appropriate Authority is stored making the availability of water predictable for use.

River Basin Agency (RBA) : refers to any one of five River Basin Development Corporations operating in the five river basins of Maharashtra.

Rotational Water Supply (RWS) : means a system of water distribution in which water is supplied to water users by rotation, according to an approved schedule indicating the day, duration and time of supply.

Sanctioned Water Use Entitlement : in relation to an Agreement with Water Users’ Associations on a reservoir based canal system means, the total volume of water guaranteed to be supplied to the Water Users’ Association, at the agreed point of supply, in different seasons, in a Normal Year.

Sub-Basin : means a hydrologic unit or hydrologic sub-unit of a river basin within the State.

Water Use Association (WUA) : means a water user association formed at the minor level or above, which represents the users of irrigation water from that segment of any project, canal or natural flow or storage system.

Water User Entity : means any Water User’s Association, Utility, Industrial User’s Association, Other User’s Association or any other group (or individual) which is authorised by the Authority to receive and utilize a water Entitlement.