As large swathes of country are facing a water crisis, the central government has come out with two draft model bills with an aim to improve water management and groundwater levels.
The draft National Water Framework bill deals with water management issues and Ground Water Model bill is to help states tackle groundwater crisis, Secretary, Union Water Resources Ministry, Shashi Shekhar said.
"The kind of drought situation we have witnessed against a backdrop of climate change, nobody knows how frequently such a situation will reoccur. The water problem is escalating. So the time has come that we manage water in a better and efficient manner.
"The bills provide guideline, framework for the same...We are telling states how they can manage (water)," Shekhar said.
The Ministry in a statement said National Water Framework bill provides an "overarching" national legal framework based on principles for protection, conservation, regulation and management of water as a vital and stressed natural resource, under which legislation and executive action on water at all levels of governance can take place.
The other legislation relating to groundwater is based on the principles of subsidiarity and equitable distribution in an integrated approach, it said.
The state should act as a public trustee of groundwater, which should be treated as a common pool resource to make sure that it is protected, conserved, regulated and managed, the statement said.
Shekhar said, "Groundwater management will play an important role in tackling drought situation. Groundwater can be our biggest source. Hence, we are focusing on it and have brought the bill in a parallel manner."
Meanwhile, the government has sought suggestions/comments on both the bills, uploaded on the Ministry's website http://mowr.Gov.In, from all individuals, experts, organisations, institutions latest by June 25, 2016.
The suggestions/comments on the draft framework bill can be sent to the Ministry at jspp-mowr@nic.In or sjcpp-mowr@nic.In and on the model bill at dirgw-mowr@nic.In or pratul.Saxena@nic.In.
Shekhar though maintained the bills are "advisory" in nature and "not binding" on states as water is a state subject.
He said after incorporating suggestions/comments, the bills will be put before the Union Cabinet for approval and then tabled in Parliament before being circulated to states.
