Despite the call for a global paradigm shift in water governance—from the traditional reductionist engineering approach to the more holistic integrated river basin governance framework—a change is not
M. Rajivlochan Towards Water Wisdom: Limits, Justice, Harmony by Ramaswamy R. Iyer. Sage. Pages 270. Rs 350. Towards Water Wisdom: Limits, Justice, HarmonyOUR pot of water woes is brimming over. That does not seem surprising, according to Ramaswamy R. Iyer, since even though India is one of the few countries in the world which is blessed with an adequate quantity of water, there is a tremendous amount of mismanagement of water resources. While the country has over 4,000 billion cubic meters (bcm) of annual rainfall and almost 2000 bcm of river flow, the reality remains that we have had constant lamentations about the shortage of water and the destruction of fertile soil because of the overuse of water. According to experts, we have already poisoned most of our major rivers to the extent that their waters are not fit for drinking any more and very soon would be unfit for irrigation as well. Under such circumstances, Iyer suggests, it is important to remove ourselves from the hurly-burly of water conflicts, mull over our relationship with water a little more than it has been possible till now and then, serendipitously think of a constructive way out. That calls for wisdom which has been lacking till now in our management of water resources. In this thought-provoking book, Iyer quickly takes us through the various conflicts that have marked the use and misuse of water since Independence. He looks at the various demand-driven policies made by the government for the management of water. However, fulfilling the demand does not necessarily result in an efficient use of water. For a long time, the main focus of the government was to increase the amount of water for irrigation to increase food grain production. Today, over 80 per cent of the total water used in India is for agriculture. However, of the water available for irrigation, more than 60 per cent is wasted. India is one of the few countries in the world where the cities provide as much as 200 litres per capita per day of water. It goes without saying that most of it is wasted, used for cleaning toilets, washing cars and maintaining gardens. No wonder our fields and cities constantly starve for water and our states busy fighting over it. Karnataka battles Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra fights with Karnataka, Punjab has its sword drawn against Haryana and Madhya Pradesh is getting ready to battle both Utter Pradesh and Gujarat. The fights have become so intense that today even the Supreme Court is wary of pronouncing firmly on the judicious distribution of water resources lest it be drawn into an irresolvable conflict. While the state governments battle each other for water, they find it increasingly difficult to manage the supply to their own citizens. Hence they are trying to palm off the management of water resources to private parties in the hope that private ownership of water would ensure market rates being charged for the water use and correspondingly less wastage. Whether this would generate even more inequalities is a matter that the states are not willing to consider at the moment. All this suggests that we are completely lacking in water wisdom, insists Iyer. Hitherto we have left the matter of planning for water in the hands of experts. Engineers, planners and economists may be very well in providing suggestions on how best to go about using our water resources, but for every expert there seems to be an equal and opposite expert who under political pressure is willing to provide contrary advice equally strongly backed by scientific evidence. Hence, Iyer suggests, the need of the hour is to get out of the conundrums created by experts and apply some Gandhian thinking. First and foremost this means restraining our greed for more water and bringing about a change in the way that we think about water as a resource. The state needs to play the role of a trustee over this resource and the people have to be involved in preserving it and encouraged to live in harmony with nature and each other.
The Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Jagdish Mukhi, has written to Union Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz drawing his attention to the Capital's water woes and demanding proper allocation of the Yamuna waters. He has urged the Union Minister to convene a meeting of the Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh governments to discuss the issue of water sharing and to evolve a strategy to ensure that all States get their allocated share. Referring to the 1994 agreement on water sharing among Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab, and the decision to construct a pucca canal for carrying water from Haryana to Delhi, the BJP leader said the Congress Government had failed to ensure timely construction of that canal. "The Delhi Government was directed to get the pucca Munak canal constructed, through which water would reach Delhi from Tajewala. It is a matter of concern that in spite of the lapse of 12 years the canal has not been constructed,' the letter stated. Pointing out that almost a third of Delhi is deprived of potable water today, Prof. Mukhi said the recent reduction in water supply had compounded the woes of the people. Cautioning that the ground water level in the Capital was fast depleting, Prof. Mukhi said at some places the level had reached a precarious stage. Seeking Prof. Soz's intervention, Prof. Mukhi said the Centre should find a solution to the water crisis in the Capital, which had become a perennial problem. The letter also referred to the flow of sewage into the Yamuna, which is making the process of river cleaning impossible despite a huge amount of money being spent on the cleaning works.
The Chamarajanagara Zilla Abhivriddhi Horata Samiti and Hogenakal Jalapata Ulisi Zilla Samiti has urged the Governor to seek the immediate intervention of the President for stalling the Tamil Nadu Government's "unethical' attempts to build a reservoir across the Cauvery in the vicinity of Hogenakal Falls. It has clarified that the ongoing works on the reservoir should be stalled until a joint survey by Karnataka and Tamil Nadu Government was conducted and the Supreme Court pronounced its stand on the Cauvery Waters Dispute Tribunal's final report. Office-bearers The office-bearers of the samitis, Ashwathnarayana, Puttaraje Urs, Simeon D'Silva and K. Veerabhadraswamy, told presspersons here on Friday that it was not clear on what grounds work orders for the reservoir in the forest area had been issued. The Tamil Nadu Government had approved the drinking water project contradicting its own stand. It was know that Karnataka wanted to launch a drinking water project to Male Mahadeshwara Hills. But the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu J. Jayalalithaa objected to it, they said. Encroachment They alleged that encroachment of the Karnataka lands, illegal sand mining from Gopinatham, black stone mining from Palar Munji tank, increasing illegal structures at Hogenakal Island, Atnakampatti, Jambutapatti and Alambadi villages had reflected the "connivance' of the Karnataka Forest Department officials with the Tamil Nadu at the cost of agricultural production.
Water wars in the arid western US are nothing new, but the rules of engagement have changed. The Klamath River basin on the California-Oregon border has seen the stage for a decades-long epic battle between farmers, fisherman, government agencies, utilities and tribes with treaty rights to dwindling salmon populations. More than 26 diverse groups have worked together to negotiate solutions to the most pressing problems the river facese, and are now close to a breakthrough that may breathe new life into the struggling river and its people.
A large number of growers staged demonstrations for the second consecutive day on Monday in Thari Mirwah, Faiz Ganj and Kotdiji talukas in protest against shortage of irrigation water. In Thari Mirwah, the protesting growers and their leaders Mehmood Phull and Gul Mohammad said that there was no water in Mirwah Canal in the crucial months of February and March when wheat crop highly depended on water.They were force to make alternate arrangements for watering their crops through private tube-wells even though they had to pay abiyana (water tax) as well. Growers in Faiz Ganj said during a demonstration that their taluka was at the tail-end of Mirwah Canal, hence it received very little water. There was no water in the canals and minors of the taluka. Mohammad Sachal, Aijaz Hussain and Mir Mohammad Brohi told journalists that the irrigation system had collapsed due to shortage of water since last 15 years. In Kotdiji, growers led by the general secretary of Abadgars Ittehad, Faqir Niaz Bhambhro, staged a demonstration and said that the shortage would also affect the production of banana and mangoes besides wheat crop. A delegation of civil society and growers of Khairpur led by general secretary of Khairpur District Bar Association Abdul Qayoom Shaikh also protested on Monday. They said that Khairpur and its adjoining towns including Kotdiji, Kot Bungalow and Hussainabad had no drinking water due to closure of irrigation channels.
AT LEAST 30 people were injured in a fierce clash between two rival groups at village Shibpasha under Ajmiriganj upazila in Habiganj on Saturday morning. Quoting locals, the police said an altercation ensued between the supporters of former UP chairman Motahar Hossain and Taskir Mia at about 10:00am over irrigating a cropland. At one stage both groups equipped with lethal weapons and sticks attacked each other, leaving 30 people from both sides injured. On information, the police went to the spot and brought the situation under control. They also recovered two firearms from the scene but none was arrested Of the injured Khalek, Abdul Nur, Sabaj Mia, Jewel, Amirul and Angur Mia were admitted to Habiganj General Hospital while others were released after first aid.A case was filed. Another report from Sirajganj said: Seven persons were injured in a clash between sadar hospital staff and some relatives of a patient Saturday morning. The police said some staff members of the hospital locked into an altercation with the relatives of patient Kajoli Parvin over her treatment. Later, at one stage they attacked each other, leaving seven persons from both sides injured. The police later brought the situation under control. The lawmen also picked up Faruk and Harun, relatives of Kajoli from the spot.
There are many rivers in India which flow from one state to another. The planning of river basin proceeds in rational way by assessing the requirements of each sub-basin bounded by the principal tributaries. A complaint was filed by Gujarat on 6th July 1968 for appointment of the Tribunal under Inter-State Water Disputes Act 1956.
<i>The challenge of development lies in balancing competing water demands <br>
In this paper we illustrate the socio-economic dynamics of peri-urban zones of Indian Metropolitan cities, which are at the heart of the current urban liberalisation. For this, we study the impact of the water purchasing agreement the Metropolitan water board signed with some farmers of peri-urban areas of Chennai (formerly Madras).
An agitational approach to river disputes only prolongs them
