National

Water harnessing, a national priority: PM

By Our Special Correspondent

New Delhi April 1. The Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, today said that except for the provision of drinking water, there was a need to universalise the practice of user payment for all other uses of water on sound economic principles, which take into account its scarcity and adverse effect of its pollution and overuse. The money so collected should be earmarked by appropriate fiscal instruments for expansion, maintenance and improvement of the water supply and pollution abatement infrastructure.

Addressing the 5th meeting of the National Water Resources Council here to finalise the revised National Water Policy, 2002, Mr. Vajpayee lamented that the subsidies for power and diesel had been largely responsible for over-exploitation of ground water leading to sharp lowering of water table in many regions. In turn, this has led to increased use of energy for irrigation and further expenditure on energy subsides. This called for promotion of conjunctive use of ground and surface water.

``Harnessing of every drop of rain water is a national priority. Emphasis should be laid on localised, decentralised harnessing of water resources, which is most cost-effective and which also lends itself to better community participation.''

The meeting later adopted the revised and modified National Water Policy and referred guidelines for river water allocation to National Water Board for arriving at a consensus.

Mr. Vajpayee pointed out that inefficient use of water in agriculture and industry also needed a critical look. While mentioning that irrigation schemes (drip irrigation) etc. had not worked well due to ``corruption in administration'' and that there was lack of transparency in implementation of water projects, he asserted that the new water policy should start a new culture of public monitoring of expenditure and outcome of water projects.

The Tamil Nadu Minister for Public Works and Prohibition and Excise, O. Panneerselvam, reiterated his Government's objection to the introduction of a provision in the amended Inter-State Water Disputes Act, 1956, which calls for verification of river water and reservoir data supplied by the State Government and appointment of empowered persons to summon the records and information from the State Governments concerned.

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