GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES

LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 2622

ANSWERED ON:29.03.2012

DRAFT NATIONAL WATER POLICY

(a) whether the Government has proposed removal of subsidies in water services in agricultural and domestic sectors and providing of subsidies and incentives to private industry in the Draft Water Policy and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether any assessment has been made to ascertain the impact of the same on the common man and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether any targets have been fixed for providing safe drinking water to all in the said policy;

(d) the stand of the Government on `Polluter Pays` principle;

(e) whether emphasis has been laid on controlling the demand of water under this policy and if so, the details thereof;

(f) whether the said draft policy has been prepared after taking into consideration the views of the States and the public and if so, the details thereof; and

(g) the extra costs likely to be imposed by private partnership in water management?

ANSWER

 (a) The Draft National Water Policy (2012) does not recommend removal of subsidies in water services in agriculture and domestic sectors. However, implementation of subsidies and incentives to encourage recovery of industrial pollutants and a recycling / reuse has been recommended.

(b) Encouragement of recycle and reuse of water through subsidies and incentives would reduce net demand and enhance the availability of water for use benefiting common man.

(c) The Draft National Water Policy (2012) recommends that the Centre, the States and the local bodies (governance institutions) must ensure access to a minimum quantity of potable water for essential health and hygiene to all its citizens, available within easy reach of the household.

(d) The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 provides for stringent penalties to the polluters of water.

(e) The Draft National Water Policy (2012), realizing the limits on enhancing the availability of utilizable water resources and increased variability in supplies due to climate change, has recommended that meeting the future needs will depend more on demand management, and hence this needs to be given priority, especially through

(i) evolving an agricultural system which economises on water use and maximizes value from water, and

(ii) bringing in maximum efficiency in use of water and avoiding wastages. 

 (f) The Draft National Water Policy (2012) has been prepared after a series of consultation meetings with different stakeholders. Details of the Consultation Meetings held in this regard are annexed. The Draft National Water Policy (2012) has also been forwarded to the State Governments for their views.

(g) The Draft National Water Policy (2012) recommends that the water related services should be transferred to community and /or private sector with appropriate “Public Private Partnership” model. As such, private partnership has not been recommended to be imposed and so no assessment of cost could be made.