A new water policy for India

It marks a shift from the command-and-control approach to nature

On November 5, 2019, the Ministry of Jal Shakti set up a committee to draft a new National Water Policy (NWP). The earlier NWPs of 1987, 2002 and 2012 were drafted entirely within the government system. This is the first time that the government decided to set up a committee of independent experts to draft the policy. I had the great honour and privilege of being asked to chair the 2019 committee. The members of the committee included the country’s leading water experts from diverse backgrounds, including those who have held key positions within government in the past, as also