The Centre was a recipient of a grant from Ford Foundation for development of facilities for training and research in the following fields of Water Resources Planning and Management:Water Resources Engg. Economics,Ground Water Systems,Water Resources Systems, Water Use Management. Pilot projects were taken up and the Centre has developed collaboration with a number of leading institutions in the U.S.A. for exchange of faculty members and research methodology.

Studies on a research project on "Conjunctive Use of Surface and Ground Water" has been conducted at the Centre. The concluded research programme consisting of micro and macro level study of planning for irrigation in a specific area of Gomti-Kalyani-Doab in U.P. is of considerable national importance and has global significance technologically. The components of the study are:

1. Evaluation of water resources in the area with regard to its availability and use.

2. Study and evaluation of the costs and benefits of several technically feasible alternative of water systems for conjunctive use of surface and ground water.

3. iii) Examination of cropping pattern and long-term ground water stocks to be maintained, spatial allocation of ground water and other factors.

The study provides answer for proper planning and utilisation of the available water resources with a view to having benefits and increased production.

Similar studies on another irrigation system, viz. Salawa Command Area in Westem U.P. were also taken up during the past few years.

The Ford Foundation had sanctioned a grant of US $ 2,50,000 for restructuring of the Irrigation Water Management Programme. The project had components, of induction of new faculty in WRD&M in the specific areas of Irrigation Water Management, Faculty improvement, Visiting Faculty from abroad, Field Research, Initiation of an Asian Network of Institutes of higher learning in Water Resources and Development of infrastructure for teaching and learning at the Centre