NEW DELHI: If it’s feared that the next world war may be fought over water, a microcosm of the crisis can be seen in India, where nearly half of the big states are enmeshed in river water-sharing disputes. While the Ravi-Beas conflict between Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan has been pending before a tribunal for over three decades, there’s a flare-up between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over Cauvery water almost every year despite a resolution.
Water is primarily a state subject in India, with each state free to deal with issues linked to supply, distribution and storage on its own unless the river happens to flow into a neighbouring region. For inter-state channels, the law allows the Centre to mediate or assist states to keep them clean and expand infrastructure. For the most part though, gaps in legal and policy framework allow for wastage and, despite presence of tribunals, prevent final resolution of longrunning disputes over sharing and allocation of resources.
This lack of a unified central law has always stood out in contrast to countries such as Israel, Australia and South Africa, which have national frameworks to help them conserve and manage resources better. “Water being constitutionally a ‘State’ subject under ‘Entry 17’ can still be legislated centrally through a framework central law since ‘Entry 17’ is subject to ‘Entry 56’ of the ‘Union’ list that deals with Inter-State rivers and river valleys. Such a framework law that defines principles and desired dos and don’ts which states could attune to their specific needs is long due,” said Manoj Misra, water expert and convener of Yamuna Jiye Abhiyaan.
While water issues did take centrestage in Modi 2.0 when the government initiated two mega schemes, concerns over management will not be addressed unless the Centre deals with it through legislation. Now, though a bill for an overarching river dispute tribunal has been passed by Lok Sabha in July 2019, it has not been listed in Rajya Sabha due to opposition from various parties. If it is passed, all existing tribunals can be subsumed under a single body, which will have to settle disputes in a time-bound manner. Besides, the bill seeks to introduce a Disputes Resolution Committee (DRC) for cases to be referred to the tribunal only if the DRC fails to resolve it within 18 months; the tribunal’s decision will then have the same force as an SC order.
To back it up, India also plans to have a new national water policy by April, which will, for the first time, focus on managing and conserving water resources through Public Private Partnership mode and work on modalities to implement ongoing programmes. The policy, being drafted by a 10-member committee, may also suggest a ‘national water law’.
Stakeholders, familiar with the committee’s consultations, told TOI the new national water policy (NWP), 2020 would be different from the 1987, 2002 and 2012 versions, which did not elaborate on implementation and efficiency of schemes suggested for managing water resources. ‘Water use efficiency’ on the lines of ‘energy use efficiency’ will be one of the focus areas.
Once the Centre comes out with a new NWP, states may also revise their policies keeping in mind basic concerns of waterstressed districts. Three existing draft Bills of the Union ‘Jal Shakti’ (water resources) ministry—National Water Framework Bill, River Basin Management Bill and Model Bill to Regulate and Control the Development and Management of Ground Waterwill also be then eventually revised.
Other legislations proposed include one on managing the Ganga and another on managing 13 river basins through a Master Plan for each. As for the two mega schemes, Jal Jeevan Mission aims to provide tap water to every rural household by 2024 and Atal Bhujal Yojana envisages managing and conserving groundwater through people’s participation.
The NWP drafting committee is learnt to be keen on advocating, at least, a central law on river basins if it is cumbersome to bring all states and parties on board for a unified nationwide law. Since agriculture alone consumes nearly 89% of available water resources (ground and surface water), the NWP will lay special emphasis on how villages could switch to drip and sprinkler irrigation where private players may get a key role in managing water in a village or group of villages and government may pay them through annuity.
“Farmers maintain their own irrigation tube-wells quite well. But conditions of gover nment-managed tube-wells and other irrigation infrastructure are not that good. My ground experience shows water cannot be managed efficiently unless we measure the resources scientifically and put a price on it,” said Man Singh, scientist and project director, ICARIndian Agricultural Research Institute. Singh said, “Time has come to manage water through a principle of ‘measure and treasure’.”
Post Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/national-water-policy-in-the-pipeline-but-states-still-divided/articleshow/73681298.cms