The Document provides Select briefs on National Water Policy of India . The talk was delivered by Kallol Saha in the event of TATA Steel National Workshop on 'Sustainable Water Resource Development' dated 11th -12th December at Beldih Club , Jamshedpur

1. National Water Policy and Status
A Presentation By Kallol Saha
National Workshop on ‘Sustainable
Development of Water Resources ’
Organised By : TATA STEEL
11.12.2015-12.12.2015

2. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
 The National Water Policy of the Government of India was first
enunciated in 1987. The policy laid down an allocation prioritization
principle for water in order of Drinking Water, Irrigation,ƒ. Hydro-
power, Navigation, Industrial and other uses
 The National Water Policy (NWP 2002) was subsequently introduced
in relation to the rapidly changing scenario in the domain of water to
address the emerging issues and provide critical policy inputs. NWP
2002 gave emphasis for the first time to ecological and
environmental aspects of water allocation.
 The National Water Policy (NWP 2012) calls for a common
integrated perspective to govern the planning and management of
water resources. Such a perspective would consider local, regional,
and national contexts and be environmentally sound.
 The Policy clearly states that water needs to be managed as a common
pool community resource that is held by the State to ensure equitable and
sustainable development for all.

3. FLOWOF PRESENTATION: Key Contents
SL No Topic Section No. Slide Number Total Slide
1 Preamble : Concern 1 4-7 4
2 Preamble: Principle 1 8-10 2
3 Frame Work Law 2 11 1
4 Uses of Water 3 12 1
5 Climate Change 4 13 1
6 Enhancing Availability 5 14 1
7 Demand Management 6 15 1
8 Water Pricing 7 16 1
9 Conservation 8 17 1
10 Project Planning 9 18 1
11 Flood Management 10 19 1
12 Drinking Water Supply
& Sanitation
11 20 1

4. Flow of Presentation: Key Contents
SL No Topic Section
No.
Slide Number Total Slide
12 InstitutionalArrangement 12 21 1
13 Trans-boundary issues 13 22 1
14 Database Management 14 22 1
15 Research & Training 15 23 1
16 Implementation 16 24 1
17 Few Notable Facts NA 25 1
18 Major Features NA 26 1
19 Voice of Concern NA 27 1
20 Changing the Picture NA 28 1
21 Picturing the Change NA 29 1
22 Discussion (Movie) NA 30 1
23 Vote of Thanks NA 1 1

5. SECTION 1: PREAMBLE: OBJECTIVE
1. India w.r.t. World
 >18 % population, 4% renewable water resources, 2.4% of
land area
 Challenges
 Flood & Draught, Growing Population, Rising Need, Climate Change
 Mismanagement, Wastage, and Inefficient use, as also Pollution and
reduction of flows
 Objective :
 Propose a framework for creation of a system of laws and
institutions and for a plan of action with a unified national
perspective

6. SECTION 1: PREAMBLE : CONCERNS
1. Water stress pose serious challenges to water security.
2. Inadequate address of water governance issues and
Mismanagement of water resources
3. Wide temporal and spatial variation in availability
causing deepening of water crisis and incidences of
water related disasters
4. Climate Changed induced sea level upraise leading to
salinity intrusion and coastal inundation
5. Lack of Access to safe water for drinking and other
domestic needs causing social unrest.

7. SECTION 1: PREAMBLE: CONCERNS
6. Groundwater is perceived as an individual property and is
exploited inequitably leading to its over-exploitation in
several areas.
7. Water resources projects are being planned and implemented
without giving due consideration to optimum utilization,
environment sustainability and holistic benefit
8. Inter-regional, inter-State, intra-State, as also inter-sectoral
disputes in sharing of water hampering the optimal utilization
of water
9. Grossly inadequate maintenance of existing irrigation
infrastructure leading to a widening gap between irrigation
potential created and utilized.
10. Natural water bodies and drainage channels are being
encroached upon, and diverted for other purposes.
Groundwater recharge zones are often blocked.

8. SECTION 1: PREAMBLE: CONCERNS
11. Growing pollution of water sources, especially through industrial
effluents, is affecting the availability of safe water
12. Access to water for sanitation and hygiene and lack of sewage
treatment leading to Water Pollution
13. Low consciousness about the overall scarcity and economic value
of water
14. The lack of adequate trained personnel for planning, utilizing
modern techniques and analytical capabilities incorporating
information technology
15. A holistic and inter-disciplinary approach at water related
problems is missing.
16. The public agencies in charge of water related decisions tend to
take these on their own without consultation with stakeholders
17. Changing Characteristics of catchment areas of streams, rivers and
recharge zones of aquifers affecting water availability and quality.

9. SECTION 1: PREAMBLE: BASIC
PRINCIPLES
1. Common Integrated Perspective up to National Context
2. Equity and social justice
3. Transparent Informed Decision making
4. Common pool community resource held by the state
1. Food security
2. Support livelihood
3. Equitable and sustainable development
5. Minimum ecological needs should be given due
consideration

10. SECTION 1: PREAMBLE: BASIC
PRINCIPLES
6. Safe Water for drinking and sanitation should be considered as pre-emptive
needs, followed by
A. Other basic domestic needs (including needs of animals), achieving food security,
supporting sustenance agriculture and minimum eco-system needs
7. Basic hydrological unit is the river basin
8. Meeting the future needs will depend more on demand management
A. Evolving an agricultural system which economizes on water use and maximizes value
from water
B. Bringing in maximum efficiency in use of water and avoiding wastages
9. Water quality and quantity are interlinked to be managed using economic
incentives and penalties
10. The impact of climate change on water resources availability must be
factored into management decisions

11. SECTION 2: WATER FRAMEWORK LAW
1. Need a National Framework Law
1. Governing the exercise of legislative and/or executive (or devolved)
powers by the Centre, the States and the local governing bodies
2. Leading the way for legislation on water governance in every State
of the Union and devolution of necessary authority to the lower tiers
of government
2. The Framework law to recognize water
1. As scarce resource
2. As a sustainers of life and ecology
3. To be managed as a community resource held by the state
3. Need for comprehensive legislation
 For optimum development of inter-State rivers and river
valleys
 Facilitate inter-State coordination
 Enable establishment of basin Regulatory authorities, comprising party States

12. SECTION 3: USES OF WATER
1. Awareness of water as a scarce resource
2. Ensure access to a minimum quantity of potable water for essential
health and hygiene to all its citizens
3. Ecological needs of the river should be determined
1. A portion of river flows should be kept aside to meet ecological needs
proportional to the natural flow regime
4. Rivers and other water bodies should be considered for
development for navigation as far as possible
5. In the eastern and north eastern regions of India, the water use
infrastructure needs to be strengthened in the interest of food
security
6. Community should be sensitized and encouraged to adapt first to
utilization of water as per local availability of waters, before
providing water through long distance transfer.
 Community based Water Management to be institutionalized and
strengthened

13. Section 4: ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE
CHANGE
1. Special impetus should be given towards mitigation at micro level by
enhancing the capabilities of community to adopt climate resilient options.
2. The anticipated increase in variability in availability of water should be
dealt with by increasing water storage Structure and incentivizing the States
for the same
1. should include revival of traditional water harvesting structures and water bodies.
3. The adaptation strategies could also include better demand management,
1. Through adoption of compatible agricultural strategies
2. Cropping patterns and improved water application methods
4. Stakeholder participation for evolving different agricultural strategies,
reducing soil erosion and improving soil fertility should be promoted.
1. The specific problems of hilly areas should be adequately addressed.
5. Planning and management of water resources structures, should incorporate
coping strategies

14. Section 5: ENHANCING WATER AVAILABLE FOR
USE
1. Water Resource Estimation in a Regular Interval
2. Availability of water for utilization needs to be augmented to meet
increasing demands using New Technologies
3. Periodic participatory mapping of Aquifer and estimation of Ground Water
Resources.
4. In over-exploited areas Water flow to be arrested to ensure extraction is less
than Recharge by
1. Introducing improved technologies of water use,
2. Incentivizing efficient water use
3. Encouraging community based management of aquifers
5. Inter-basin transfers of water should be considered on the basis of merits of
each case
6. Integrated Watershed development activities with groundwater to increase
soil moisture, reduce sediment yield and increase overall land and water
productivity.
1. Existing programs like MGNREGA may be used to harvest rain water

15. Section 6: DEMAND MANAGEMENT AND
WATER USE EFFICIENCY
1. A system and institutional Arrangement to evolve
benchmarks for water uses for different purposes
o Water Foot Print, Water Audit studies to be promoted all across
2. Project Appraisal & Environmental Clearance to mention
Water Footprint
3. Recycle and reuse of water to be a General norm
4. Water saving in irrigation use is emphasized
o Micro irrigation (drip, sprinkler, etc.), automated irrigation
operation, evaporation-transpiration reduction
5. Use of very small local level irrigation to be encouraged
o Small bunds, field ponds, agricultural and engineering methods and
practices for watershed development
6. Concurrent monitoring involving users
o In problematic areas

16. SECTION 7: WATER PRICING
1. Water Pricing to promote Conservation and Reuse setting up independent
statutory Water Regulatory Authority by each State
2. The water charges should preferably / as a rule be determined on
volumetric basis and should be reviewed periodically
3. Recycle and reuse of water, after treatment to specified standards, should
be incentivized
4. Differential and favourable pricing for Drinking Water and Sanitation
,Followed by Food Security Requirements
o For others Allocation & Pricing should be on economic principles
5. Water Users Associations (WUAs) should be given statutory powers
o Collect and retain a portion of water charges, manage the volumetric quantum
of water allotted to them , maintain the distribution system, Fix Rates
6. Over-Drawal of groundwater to be minimized by regulating
electricity for its extraction
o Dedicated Electric Feeders for Ground Water based projects

17. Section 8:CONSERVATION OF RIVER CORRIDORS,
WATER BODIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE
1. Conservation of rivers, water bodies and infrastructure should be
undertaken scientifically through community participation
2. Encroachments and diversion of water bodies and drainage
channels must not be allowed
3. Strict Regulation of Encroachment and Development Activities
4. Environmental needs of Himalayan regions, aquatic eco-system,
wet lands and embanked flood plains to be considered
5. Strict Punitive action against Source Pollution
6. Quality Conservation of Ground Water
7. Proper maintenance and cost recovery through user charges for
Infrastructure
8. Legally empowered Dam Safety Service to be instituted

18. SECTION 9: PROJECT PLANNING &
IMPLEMENTATION
1. Projects should be planned as per the efficiency benchmarks
to be prescribed for various situations
2. Planning to consider social and environmental aspects in
addition to techno-economic considerations in consultation
with project affected and beneficiary families
3. Considering the heavy economic loss due to delay in
implementation of projects, all clearances be made time
bound
4. Concurrent Monitoring by State and Centre to minimize over
runs
5. Projects should be planned and executed in a manner so that
intended benefits start accruing immediately
6. Local Governing body to be involved in planning
7. Projects should preferably be multipurpose in nature

19. SECTION 10 : MANAGEMENT OF FLOOD &
DRAUGHT
1. Emphasis should be on preparedness for flood / drought with coping
mechanisms as an option
o Greater emphasis on rehabilitation of natural drainage system
2. Land, soil, energy and water management with scientific inputs from
local, research and scientific institutions
3. To prevent loss of land eroded by the river, measures should be planned
and maintained on the basis of morphological studies
4. Flood forecasting should be modernized using real time data acquisition
system and linked to forecasting models
5. Operating procedures for reservoirs should be evolved to have flood
cushion and to reduce trapping of sediment
6. Methods for coping with floods and droughts have to be encouraged
o Frequency based flood inundation maps should be prepared to evolve coping
strategies
7. Involve Affected community and academia in disaster mitigation

20. SECTION 11: WATER SUPPLY &
SANITATION
1. Removal of disparity between stipulations for water supply in urban areas
and in rural areas
o Least water intensive sanitation and sewerage systems to be incentivised
2. Urban and rural domestic water supply should preferably be from surface
water in conjunction with groundwater and rainwater
3. Urban domestic water systems need to collect and publish water accounts
and water audit reports
4. In urban and industrial areas, rainwater harvesting and de-salinization,
wherever techno-economically feasible, should be encouraged
5. Urban water supply and sewage treatment schemes should be integrated
and executed simultaneously
6. Industries in water short regions may be allowed to either withdraw only
the make up water or should have an obligation to return treated effluent .
7. Subsidies and incentives should be implemented to encourage recovery of
industrial pollutants and recycling / reuse, which are otherwise capital
intensive.

21. SECTION12: INSTITUTIONAL
ARRANGEMENT
 Forum at National & State Level
 A permanent Water Disputes Tribunal at the Centre
 Water resources projects and services should be managed with
community participation.
 The State Governments / urban local bodies may associate private
sector in public private partnership mode with penalties for failure,
under regulatory control on prices charged and service standards with
full accountability to democratically elected local
 Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) taking
river basin / sub-basin as a unit
 Appropriate institutional arrangements for each river basin for
Data Collection, Water Audit and Monitoring
 States should be encouraged and incentivized to undertake
reforms ,innovations and conservations

22. SECTION 13: TRANSBOUNDARY RIVERS &
SECTION14: DATA BASE
1. International agreements with neighbouring countries on
bilateral basis for exchange of hydrological data of
international rivers on near real time basis
2. In consultative association with riparian States keeping
paramount the national interest and setting up institutional
Arrangement
3. All Hydrological Data shall be placed in Public Domain on
GIS platform establishing a National Water Informatics
Centre
4. More data about snow and glaciers, evaporation, tidal
hydrology and hydraulics, river geometry changes, erosion,
sedimentation, etc. is needed
o A dedicated program to be started
5. All Water related data should be integrated with well defined
procedures and formats to ensure online updating

23. SECTION 15: RESEARCH & TRAINING
NEEDS
 Innovations in water resources sector should be encouraged,
recognized and awarded
 Seeks adequate grants to the States
 Update technology & practices
 Preparation of annual water balances and accounts
 Preparation of hydrologic balances for water systems benchmarking
 A re-training and quality improvement programme for
water planners and managers at all levels both in private
and public sectors
 On IT enabled solutions and analytical methods
 autonomous center for research in water policy
 Regular training and academic courses in water management
should be promoted
 National Water Literacy campaign may be taken up

24. SECTION 16 : IMPLEMENTATION OF
NATIONAL WATER POLICY
 National Water Board should prepare a plan of action
based on the National Water Policy, as approved by the
National Water Resources Council, and to regularly
monitor its implementation.
 The State Water Policies may need to be drafted/revised in
accordance with this policy keeping in mind the basic
concerns and principles as also a unified national
perspective.

25. Revisiting National Water Policy 2012: A
Few Notable Facts
 India accounts for 15% of the world population and about 4% of the
world’s water resources. One of the solutions to solve the country’s
water woes is to link the rivers.
 India has been successful in creating live water storage capacity of
about 253 billion cubic meter(BCM) so far. In a first, the ecological
needs of river have also been taken into consideration.
 The main emphasis 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 policy also does away with the priorities for water allocation
mentioned in 1987 and 2002 versions of the policy. The policy was
adopted with a disapproval from many states.

26. Recapitulation: The major features
 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
 To support a National Water Framework Law

27. Voice of Concern: Critics of NWP 2012
 Paradigm shift in approach from service provider of water to
facilitator of service.
 Policy does not deter use among those who can afford to pay
for water.
 PPP mode may not ensure equity.
 Policy does not follow polluter pay principle, rather it gives
incentives for effluent treatment.
 Policy was criticized for terming Water as an economic good.
Ramaswamy Iyer, principal draftsman of the 1987 policy is critical of the
draft policy for simultaneously advocating community participation, public
trust doctrine and PPP. “The draft fails to recognise that we cannot simply
assert a number of propositions without considering their inter-
relationships (and possible contradictions),” he says

28. For Jharkhand : There is a Need to Change this
Picture
Palamu
Garhwa
Godda
Saraikela

29. To Jharkhand: Picturing these changes would be Key
to Secured Future
Exploration For Arsenic
FreeWater in Sahebganj
Dam and Lake Ranchi
Shifting to Surface Source,
Sahebganj
Wear at Deoghar

30. Let’s Talk about it ?

31. Thank you For Your Cooperation
For More Details Please Contact;
Kallol Saha
Director-2,Program Management Unit,
State Water and Sanitation Mission ,Jharkhand
Research Fellow, School of Water Resource Engineering
,Jadavpur University , Post Graduate Diploma in Rural
Management, Institute of Rural Management Anand,
Master of Science, (Applied Geology), Jadavpur University
Visiting Faculty : Cooperative Management
Xavier Institute of Social Service , Ranchi ,Jharkhand
Address For Communication:
Flat No. 2 D Block B Jayashri Green City, Pundag Road,
Argora Chowk, Ranchi -834002 ,Jharkhand
E-Mail: kallosh74@gmail.com
Phone: +919471710631