Draft water law suggests 100% metered supply for urban areas

The Ministry of Water Resources has proposed 100 per cent metered water supply, priced on a volumetric basis, for urban areas. It has also pitched for the supply of water to those below the poverty line, at a subsidised rate.

The proposals, contained in the ministry’s draft national water framework law, also suggested addressing intra-state river disputes.

It said, “The government shall develop, manage and regulate basins of inter-state rivers, through specific legislations enacted for such a purpose, and shall cooperate and participate constructively in planning and management of inter-state rivers, along with other co-basin states.”

The draft law is formulated by a committee headed by former power minister and Planning Commission member Y K Alagh. It recommends major industries and businesses consuming more than a million cubic metres of water a year file annual “water returns” — information such as water utilisation per unit produce, effluent discharge details, rain water harvested, water reuse details and fresh water consumption.

It seeks water accounts and water audit reports that indicate leakages and pilferage. The report said water for industry be priced after considering the efficiency costs. “Subsidies and incentives shall be implemented to encourage the recovery of industrial pollutants, including recycling and reuse, which are otherwise capital-intensive,” it states.

The report also asks local authorities to encourage reuse of urban water effluents from kitchens and bathrooms, after primary treatment.