Water
Crisis
New
Delhi, 26 May 2008
River Management
CENTRAL CONTROL DESIRABLE
By Dhurjati Mukherjee
Ten of the largest rivers in the
world are dying. Amongst these are the Ganga, Indus, Nile, Yangtze, Mekong and Danube that are the lifeline of millions of people. These
rivers are not merely water sources but repositories of history, myths and
cultural memories. And, the greatest threat to these and many other rivers is
industrial pollution apart from natural sewage channels.
In India, as also in many other countries
pollution of rivers has been a big problem. The developing world, particularly India and China,
needs to learn from Europe’s experience of
reviving and maintaining rivers. In our country, the Supreme Court has come out
with a number of judgements along these lines, but effective action has yet to
be taken. The projects that have been taken up are far from satisfactory. The 2006
official audit of the Ganga Action Plan has revealed that it has met only 39 per
cent of its sewage treatment target. Moreover, the Plan is behind schedule by
over 13 years. According to the legal counsel, Central Pollution Control Board,
Vijay Panjawani, even after spending Rs. 24,000 crores, the Ganga
remains as dirty as ever. The same holds true of the Yamuna Action Plan where
progress is unsatisfactory.
Apart from the problem of sewage flowing
into the Yamuna, the problem is largely attributed to the large-scale
extraction of water in upstream Delhi
for drinking and irrigation purposes, leading to negligible flow in the river
after Wazirabad, as per reports of the Environment Ministry. This problem has
also been witnessed in Kolkata (of the Hooghly river, an offshoot of Ganga)
after the water-sharing agreement was signed between India
and Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, following the directions
of the apex court on August 4, 2004, a high-power committee was constituted for
preparation of an integrated action plan to stop pollution of the river.
Another committee was formed with representatives from the five riparian states
of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi,
Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan to consider the issue of maintaining a universal
flow of water in the Yamuna and to suggest both short and long-term measures
for the same.
Keeping in view the persistent problem
of pollution of these rivers, some are likely to be declared as ‘national
rivers’. This would facilitate the Centre’s direct intervention in projects to
clean up such rivers and ensure proper upkeep. Moreover, since the big rivers
pass through several States and there is a multiplicity of authorities,
monitoring at the central level would be better, even though it’s a State
subject, Ambitious projects viz Ganga and
Yamuna so far are unable to achieve the desired results within a specified time
frame.
The ‘national rivers’ concept has
long been mooted and deliberated upon by the Central Water Commission (CWC) and
the criteria for rivers that would fall under this head is being finalized.
This exercise became necessary after States like West
Bengal asked the Centre to take up river cleaning projects. It is
understood that half a dozen highly polluted rivers, including Ganga, Yamuna, Krishna, Cauvery, and Teesta are likely to figure in this
list.
Moreover, water sharing has led to
disputes between States and consequent appointment of tribunals under the
inter-State water disputes act to mediate between warring parties. Tribunals set
up so far are looking into disputes over the Narmada, Ravi, Beas, Krishna, Godavari and Cauvery. Regrettably, this has given rise to
a complex and highly litigious process as the States have moved the Supreme
Court challenging the awards given by the tribunals in spite of these being
binding on the States.
There is a high-level of vitriol in
the endemic clashes between States on inter-State water issues which have grave
political consequences. The intensity of these disputes and the complexity
arising thereof has possibly influenced the parliamentary committee on water
resources to recommend that water be put on the concurrent list from the
present List II of the seventh schedule, a State subject. The move has enough
justification, as it would entail Centre’s control over the rivers--
maintaining these properly from the environmental point of view and ensuring
regulated flow.
In the coming years, with rapid
industrialization and urbanization the demand for water would increase
considerably, making it necessary that control in matters pertaining to water
sharing, pollution and management be exerted by Central authorities, in
consultation with respective State governments, if necessary. It is in this
context that the question of river interlinking has also to be considered in a
judicious manner, keeping in mind, the geological, environmental, economic and
practical aspects.
As is well-known, some States are
already facing water crisis, both in the urban centres and rural areas, while States
like Assam
face floods almost every year. Besides, the 11th Plan has aimed at
expanding irrigation by 2.5 million hectares a year, and, recently at a meeting
of the National Development Council (NDC), most States voiced the need for additional
allocation for increasing their irrigated area. In such a scenario, there is
need for judicious management of water and ensuring its optimum use throughout
the country. How this could be made practicable, however, remains a big
challenge?
The only way in which change will
take place is if reform-minded political leaders shift the balance of power
between the State machinery, on the one hand, and users -- farmers, industries,
citizens – on the other. The State needs to surrender those tasks which it may
not be fit to perform, while develop the capacity to do such things which it
can and should do. Water management, let’s face it, is one of the several
tasks, which only the State can discharge. A monitoring mechanism at the
central level may be necessary or the Central Water Commission be given
additional powers. However, collaboration and consultation with the States
would be necessary.
The institutional changes in
building the “new Indian water state” could well be: the public sector will
continue to have an important role in providing irrigation and water supply; vibrant
non-governmental sector, private sector and cooperatives will too be given a
role in providing formal irrigation and water supply services in a competitive
manner with the State authorities; as service provided by the above improves,
large number of people will move from the informal, self providing, water
economy onto the formal service sector and the public sector will play an
expanded role in the financing and provision of public services such as flood
control, pollution control, sewage treatment etc.
In addition, the government will
deliver a set of laws, policies, capacities and organizations for defining and
delivering an enabling environment with special emphasis on the establishment
and management of water entitlements and the regulation of services and
resources. A clean flowing river thus could be of immense benefit to the
country and the States. ---INFA
(Copyright, India
News and Feature Alliance)
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