Says Centre has no intention to encroach states? rights on water
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday mooted the idea of regulating the use of power for extracting groundwater for curbing the rapid depletion of key natural resources.
?We need to initiate steps to minimise misuse of groundwater by regulating the use of electricity for its extraction,” Singh said while addressing the sixth meeting of the National Water Resources Council (NWRC). Singh admitted that rapid economic growth and urbanisation were widening the demand supply gap and worsening the country’s water-stress index.
?Rapid economic growth and urbanization today are widening the demand supply gap and leading to worsening our water-stress index. Our water bodies are getting increasingly polluted by untreated industrial effluents and sewage. Groundwater levels are falling in many parts due to excessive withdrawals, leading to contamination with fluoride, arsenic and other chemicals,? he said.
On the issue of apprehensions expressed by many states over the proposed national legal framework on water resources, the prime minister said the Centre has no intention to encroach their rights on water management.
“I would like to emphasise the need to see the proposed national legal framework in proper perspective. The framework would be an umbrella statement of general principles governing the exercise of legislative, executive or devolved powers by the Centre, the states and the local governing bodies. The NWRC is likely to adopt the latest national water policy. The water policy proposes to have a national legal framework on water issues which the states have been opposing.
On the lower utilisation of irrigation facilities in the country, Singh noted “our irrigation systems need to shift from a narrow engineering-construction-centric approach to a more multi-disciplinary and participatory approach. Incentives need to be provided to narrow the gap between irrigation capacities created and those being utilized?.
He also stressed the need to move towards a transparent and participatory mechanisms of pricing of water by the primary stakeholders themselves.
