Ministry of Water Resources - National Water Policy 2002.

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National Water Policy 2002

Water Sharing/Distribution amongst the States

21.1 The water sharing / distribution amongst the states should be guided by a national perspective with due regard to water resources availability and needs within the river basin. Necessary guidelines, including for water short states even outside the basin, need to be evolved for facilitating future agreements amongst the basin states.

21.2 The Inter-State Water Disputes Act of 1956 may be suitably reviewed and amended for timely adjudication of water disputes referred to the Tribunal.

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National Water Policy 2002

Performance Improvement

22. There is an urgent need of paradigm shift in the emphasis in the management of water resources sector. From the present emphasis on the creation and expansion of water resources infrastructures for diverse uses, there is now a need to give greater emphasis on the improvement of the performance of the existing water resources facilities. Therefore, allocation of funds under the water resources sector should be re-prioritised to ensure that the needs for development as well as operation and maintenance of the facilities are met.

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National Water Policy 2002

Maintenance and Modernisation

23.1 Structures and systems created through massive investments should be properly maintained in good health. Appropriate annual provisions should be made for this purpose in the budgets.

23.2 There should be a regular monitoring of structures and systems and necessary rehabilitation and modernisation programmes should be undertaken.

23.3 Formation of Water Users' Association with authority and responsibility should be encouraged to facilitate the management including maintenance of irrigation system in a time bound manner.

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National Water Policy 2002

Safety of Structures

24. There should be proper organisational arrangements at the national and state levels for ensuring the safety of storage dams and other water-related structures consisting of specialists in investigation, design, construction, hydrology, geology, etc. A dam safety legislation may be enacted to ensure proper inspection,maintenance and surveillance of existing dams and also to ensure proper planning, investigation, design and construction for safety of new dams. The Guidelines on the subject should be periodically updated and reformulated. There should be a system of continuous surveillance and regular visits by experts.

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National Water Policy 2002

Science and Technology

25. For effective and economical management of our water resources, the frontiers of knowledge need to be pushed forward in several directions by intensifying research efforts in various areas, including the following:

· Hydro-meteorology;
· snow and lake hydrology;
· surface and ground water hydrology;
· river morphology and hydraulics;
· assessment of water resources;
· water harvesting and ground water recharge;
· water quality;
· water conservation;
· evaporation and seepage losses;
· recycling and re-use;
· better water management practices and improvements in operational technology;
· crops and cropping systems;
· soils and material research;
· new construction materials and technology (with particular reference to roller compacted concrete, fiber reinforced concrete, new methodologies in tunneling technologies, instrumentation, advanced numerical analysis in structures and back analysis);
· seismology and seismic design of structures;
· the safety and longevity of water-related structures;
· economical designs for water resource projects;
· risk analysis and disaster management;
· use of remote sensing techniques in development and management;
· use of static ground water resource as a crisis management measure;
· sedimentation of reservoirs;
· use of sea water resources;
· prevention of salinity ingress;
· prevention of water logging and soil salinity;
· reclamation of water logged and saline lands;
· environmental impact;
· regional equity.

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National Water Policy 2002

Training

26. A perspective plan for standardised training should be an integral part of water resource development. It should cover training in information systems, sectoral planning, project planning and formulation, project management, operation of projects and their physical structures and systems and the management of the water distribution systems. The training should extend to all the categories of personnel involved in these activities as also the farmers.

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National Water Policy 2002

Conclusion

27. In view of the vital importance of water for human and animal life, for maintaining ecological balance and for economic and developmental activities of all kinds, and considering its increasing scarcity, the planning and management of this resource and its optimal, economical and equitable use has become a matter of the utmost urgency. Concerns of the community needs to be taken into account for water resources development and management. The success of the National Water Policy will depend entirely on evolving and maintaining a national consensus and commitment to its underlying principles and objectives. To achieve the desired objectives, State Water Policy backed with an operational action plan shall be formulated in a time bound manner say in two years. National Water Policy may be revised periodically as and when need arises.