Kerala declares water policy

Kerala declared its water policy acknowledging water as a public resource and asserting the right of the citizens for access to the resource.Presenting the policy in the Assembly, Water Resources Minister N.K. Premachandran said water could indeed become a very scarce commodity in future due to global warming and consequent climate change.No longer can Kerala take for granted the abundant availability of water for its mounting needs. Conserving all water resources in the best way possible, coordinating the efforts of various government agencies and involving the people themselves in the task, has now become a crucial necessity, according to the policy document.It says that Kerala shall not enter into any new water transfer pacts with neighbouring States without the consent of the State legislature. The policy stipulates treating each river basin as a unit while planning water conservation measures and deciding how the resources on hand shall be apportioned among various consumer groups. The first priority is for domestic consumers. Next in the list are the farmers, followed by power generation, agro-processing sector and industrial/commercial customers, in that order. Commercial use of water is to be subjected to stringent regulations.The Minister said existing laws and rules on the use of water required a thorough review in the light of the policy, formulated by the government after several rounds of discussions with experts and all stakeholders. The policy proposes new laws for setting up 'river and wetland authority' and regulating groundwater exploitation."There will be regulations on groundwater exploitation in all cases except wells dug for domestic use," he said.The policy specifies measures against the delays that have become a norm, rather than an exception, in the execution of drinking water and irrigation projects in Kerala. It says that no more big irrigation projects are advisable for the State. The focus henceforth shall be on small projects, especially lift irrigation schemes that can reduce water wastage.Rainwater harvesting, protection of forest cover, preventing water pollution with stringent penal provisions against the polluters, checking saline water intrusion into inland water sources and strengthening research are some of the other focus areas mentioned in the water policy.

The Hindu, Jul 22, 2008