National Water Policy 2012

The main emphasis in the Draft of National Water Policy 2012 is to Treat Water as Economic Good which the ministry claims to promote its conservation and efficient use. This provision intended for the privatization of water-delivery services is being criticized from various quarters. The draft also does away with the priorities for water allocation mentioned in 1987 and 2002 versions of the policy. The other major recommendations are :

·   To ensure access to a minimum quantity of potable water for essential health and hygiene to all citizens, available within easy reach of the household

·   To curtail subsidy to agricultural electricity users

·   Setting up of Water Regulatory Authority

·   To keep aside a portion of the river flow to meet the ecological needs and to ensure that the low and high flow releases correspond in time closely to the natural flow regime.

·   To give statutory powers to Water Users Associations to maintain the distribution system

Project benefited families to bear part of the cost of resettlement & rehabilitation of project affected families

·   To remove the large disparity between stipulations for water supply in urban areas and in rural areas .