WATER MANAGEMENT
proactively addressing environmental concerns, including water pollution, conservation and management independently or through collaboration with state-run agencies.
Parliamentary initiatives Parliament attaches immense importance to the conservation and efficient utilization of water. Over the years, progressive laws have ensured that environmental concerns are addressed with appropriate measures and due sincerity. Most of the rivers in India are
inter-state and as such the regulation and development of waters of these rivers is a source of inter-state differences and disputes. With regard to disputes relating to waterways, article 262 of the constitution states that “Parliament may by law provide for the adjudication of any dispute or complaint with respect to the use, distribution or control of the waters of, or in, any inter-state river or river valley”. Thus, Parliament has been mandated to regulate use, distribution and control of river water flowing across the country. Further, Entry 56 of List I of the Seventh Schedule to the constitution makes it clear that “regulation and development of inter- state rivers and river valleys to the extent to which such regulation and development under the control of the union is declared by Parliament by law to be expedient in the public interest”. The visionary framers of our
constitution had, in fact, taken cognizance of the symbiotic relationship that a human being has with his/her environment. They enshrined certain provisions in the constitution to ensure that the state takes suitable measures to protect and improve the ecosystem and takes care of the forests and wildlife. The Parliament of India has
been at the helm of initiatives undertaken towards water resource management. Path-breaking legislation like The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act of 1974, The Territorial Waters, Continental Shelf, Exclusive Economic Zone and other Maritime Zone Act of 1976, The Water (Prevention and Control
of Pollution) Cess Act of 1977, The Inland Waterways Authority of India Act of 1985 and others have paved the way for prevention of pollution and management of water resources across the country. In fact, with a view to making the water conservation plans a reality, the Parliament House Complex itself has put in place its own conservation system with all the three major buildings inside the Complex having benefited from a system of rain water harvesting. To give meaningful inputs to
the Members for policy formulation and to gain deeper insights into various aspects of issues concerning their constituents, currently six Parliamentary Fora are functioning. One of these is on Water Conservation and Management. Through this Forum, experts in the field have helped Members augment their knowledge of the related issues. Representatives from the Ministries of Water Resources, Urban Development, Rural Development, Agriculture, Science and Technology, and Drinking Water and Sanitation attend meetings and seminars organized by the Forum. The Forum is also appraised periodically by the government of the impact of the implementation of Forum suggestions/recommendations regarding water conservation and management. Consequently, when Members go back to their constituencies they are better equipped to scientifically help constituents and educate them on the means and necessity of conserving water, sanitation and hygiene, and maintaining a harmonious relation with the environment. The Forum organized 16 meetings during the 14th Lok Sabha and 11 meetings have been held so far during the 15th Lok Sabha. The Parliament of India has,
time and again, been organizing workshops, symposia and lecture series to help Members discuss and enrich their understanding of the key issues in vogue and covering diverse areas, from politics and economy to science and technology. In March 2012 it organized a workshop
20 | The Parliamentarian | 2013: Issue One
on “Water Conservation and Management – with special reference to the river Ganga” (Ganges) to help Members better comprehend and grasp the gravity of the alarming rise of pollutants in the river.
Working at the local level In India, the river Ganga has, since time immemorial, been of high religious and cultural significance. The river also has immense commercial implications. Years of dumping pollutants and untreated sewage waste are now posing a serious threat to the ecological balance in the river. The efforts of the government in implementing the various policies designed to reduce pollution have not been able to free the water of this river from pollutants. Civil society groups have been trying to supplement the efforts of the government to cleanse the polluting elements of the Ganges and maintain the right ecological balance in and around the banks of this river, especially near its source. It is said that India lives in its
villages. No legislation, policy or programme can achieve its objective if its advantages do not reach the villages. The 73rd Amendment to our constitution, undertaken in 1992, is an example of India’s resolve to bring about democratic decentralization of political power and confirm that development percolates down to the poorest of the poor. Women, as housewives, have the heavy responsibility of meeting the water requirements of their homes. In rural India, more so in water-scarce areas, they walk long distances to fetch water. More than anyone else, they know how to value water. The participation of women in rural local self-government bodies has been the most satisfying element for water management. Today, nearly 37 per cent of the elected representatives in the village panchayats are women. The panchayats are undertaking development initiatives at the grassroots level and addressing the sanitation, drinking water and irrigational needs of the rural masses. Back in 1993, the Members of
Parliament Local Area Development
Scheme was launched to enable Members to recommend development works with emphasis on the creation of durable community assets needed in their constituencies. Right from the inception of the Scheme, durable assets of national priorities such as drinking water, primary education, public health, sanitation and roads have been created. Over the years, Members have helped their constituents undertake around 100,000 works with relation to drinking water and over 12,000 works relating to the irrigation sector. Their combined efforts have changed the rural landscape. The Lok Sabha TV Channel, a
dedicated 24-hour channel run by the Parliament of India, has been addressing social, developmental and environmental issues through its various programmes. The channel, with an outreach spread across the country, has been providing infotainment and educational assistance and promoting social awareness to the masses in the remotest of areas.
Governmental initiatives The Central Water Commission has been monitoring the storage position of reservoirs of our country. The extent to which irrigation and hydro- power sectors utilize water from these reservoirs depends on rainfall and varies from year to year. India has since independence
undertaken planned development to address its developmental needs from time to time. During the Eleventh Five-Year Plan, demonstrative projects on rain water harvesting and artificial recharge have been implemented by the Central Ground Water Board under the central sector scheme of Ground Water Management and Regulation in priority areas such as over-exploited and critical areas, urban areas and the areas affected by water quality problems for replication by the state governments under similar hydro- geological environments. A “Model Bill”, which provides for mandatory harvesting of roof-top rain water, has
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92