New National Water Policy

 

For: Preliminary & Mains

Topics covered:

• About New National Water Policy/ Mihir Shah Committee
• Features of National Water Policy of 2012

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News Flash

The Union Water Resources Ministry has finalised a committee to draft a new National Water Policy (NWP), which is headed by Mihir Shah. The committee is expected to produce a report within six months.

• The new National water policy is expected to suggest key changes in water governance structure and regulatory framework.
• The NWP currently in force was drafted in 2012 and is the third such policy since 1987.

 

National Water Policy, 2012

• The NWP currently in force was drafted in 2012.
• The policy of 2012 was the concept of an Integrated Water Resources Management approach that took the “river basin/ sub-basin” as a unit for planning, development and management of water resources.

 

Salient features of NWP, 2012

1. The policy emphasis on the need for a national water framework law, comprehensive legislation for optimum development of inter-State rivers and river valleys.
2. Water, after meeting the pre-emptive needs for safe drinking water and sanitation, achieving food security, supporting poor people dependent on agriculture for their livelihood and high priority allocation for minimum eco-system needs, be treated as economic good so as to promote its conservation and efficient use.
3. The ecological needs of the river should be determined recognizing that river flows are characterized by low or no flows, small floods (freshets), large floods and flow variability and should accommodate development needs. A portion of river flows should be kept aside to meet ecological needs ensuring that the proportional low and high flow releases correspond in time close to the natural flow regime.
4. Adaptation strategies in view of climate change for designing and management of water resources structures and review of acceptability criteria has been emphasized.
5. A system to evolve benchmarks for water uses for different purposes, i.e., water footprints, and water auditing be developed to ensure efficient use of water. Project financing has been suggested as a tool to incentivize efficient & economical use of water.
6. Setting up of Water Regulatory Authority has been recommended. Incentivization of recycling and re-use has been recommended.
7. Water Users Associations should be given statutory powers to collect and retain a portion of water charges, manage the volumetric quantum of water allotted to them and maintain the distribution system in their jurisdiction.
8. Removal of the large disparity in stipulations for water supply in urban areas and in rural areas has been recommended.
9. Water resources projects and services should be managed with community participation. Wherever the State Governments or local governing bodies so decide, the private sector can be encouraged to become a service provider in a public-private partnership model to meet agreed terms of service delivery, including penalties for failure.
10. Adequate grants to the States to update technology, design practices, planning and management practices, preparation of annual water balances and accounts for the site and basin, preparation of hydrologic balances for water systems, and benchmarking and performance evaluation.

 

Source: The Hindu

 

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