Plan panel mulls cess on groundwater usage…….Priyadarshi Siddhanta
The action plan will work towards a new framework focused on bringing about sustainability and equity
In its action plan on water security, the Planning Commission will likely recommend a cess on the use of groundwater. The quantum of cess will be state-specific and will
depend on the volume of water used by farmers.
Mihir Shah, Member, Planning Commission, told The Indian Express that the proposed action plan would encompass creating a new legal and institutional framework with a clear focus on sustainability and equity. “It will reconcile the conflicts arising between different users and take a holistic view of the hydrological cycle,” he said. The Plan panel’s objective was to place greater emphasis on demand management rather than excessively being supply-centric.
Shah pointed out that India extracted 210 billion cubic metres of ground water for drinking and irrigation purposes, the highest in the world. In fact, ground water resources accounted for almost 60 per cent of irrigation water. According to the Mid-Term Appraisal of the Eleventh Five Year Plan, the growing dependence on groundwater has taken the form of unsustainable over-extraction. This has led to a lowering of the water table thereby adversely impacting rural drinking water. Between 1995 and 2004, the proportion of unsafe districts (semi-critical, critical and overexploited) has grown from 9 per cent to 31 per cent and the population affected from 7 per cent to 31 per cent.
“It (cess) will be differential based on the volume of water used. It has to be situation-specific with allowance made for emergencies such as a drought. The attempt in the Action Plan will be to balance drinking water quality and environmental considerations. The tariff of water will be determined by an economic regulator. It will take into consideration the standards set by the quality and environment agencies. The exercise will be finalised in a transparent and participatory manner after consultations with the representatives of water consumers,” Shah said.
The idea is to help farmers participate actively in determining the price for irrigation water. “This is extremely important because the human right to drinking water is now being jeopardised by the reckless manner it is being used by the industry and agriculture-based industry,” he said.
Water is currently being administered by three different departments, each harboring a different outlook. For instance, the responsibility for ensuring adequate availability of water for farm use is divided between the water ministry (that oversees major and minor irrigation) and the Department of Land Resources (tasked with watershed management). The Department of Rural Development looks after water conservation under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (MNREGA) and the Department of Drinking Water Supply monitors the rural drinking water programmes. “There is a need to break away from taking such silo approaches towards water management,” Shah said.