Haryana seeks comments on draft water policy

The Haryana Irrigation Department has sought comments from various departments on its draft of the State Water Policy it prepared with a view to address major issues relating to the water sector in the state.

While stating this here today, a spokesman of the Irrigation Department said the implementation of this policy would pave the way for long-term sustainability of water sector and improvement in the management of this precious resource. This would also become an operational action plan for the implementation of National Water Policy of 2002 for Haryana.

The State Water Policy has been framed to bring all the issues relating to water resources under the purview of the National Water Policy of 2002. It would also prioritise allocation and achieve planning, development, conservation and management in an integrated manner and based on sound environmental footing, financial sustainability and a participatory approach to including the private sector.

It would use modern information technology keeping in view the future demands on account of growth and the social, economic, geographical and other issues of the state. In the Policy, special focus has been laid on equitable and judicious allocation of water, with emphasis on poor and disadvantaged people and conservation of precious water resources and its optimum utilisation.

The Policy also aims at planning for water resources’ development on the concept of basin or sub-basin as a unit, treating surface and ground waters as unitary resource to meet the demands of various sectors and integrated planning of water resources sector with such components as drainage, flood management, water conservation techniques, such as rainwater harvesting, artificial recharge and bio-drainage.

Top priorities, under the Policy, had been laid on drinking water, irrigation, power generation, environmental allocation, agro-industries, non-agricultural industries and other uses, he added.