Rajasthan passes bill to manage water resources

The Rajasthan assembly on Wednesday passed the Rajasthan River Basin and Water Resources Planning Bill, 2015 by voice vote.

Rajasthan is a water deficit state and has only 1.16 percent of the total surface water available in India.

Water Resources Minister Rampratap while presenting the bill in the assembly said: "The bill seeks for the establishment of State Water Resources Advisory Council and Rajasthan River Basin and Water Resources Planning Authority for management and development of river basins and sub-basins on sustainable basis on integrated water resources management (IWRM) concept."

"Under the present scenario it has become imperative to adopt an IWRM concept for management of ground water, surface water and development of river basins and sub-basins on sustainable basis, a multi-disciplinary approach is needed as a foundation for planning of all watershed, irrigation and drinking water projects covering the basins, sub-basins, aquifers and micro watersheds to formulate state level water resources development plans," the bill noted.

Requirement of deficit basins can be fulfilled by inter-basin water transfer, including inter-linking of rivers from surplus to deficit basins, sub-basins, it said.

In order to effectively address all the issues in the water sector the state government has issued the State Water Policy.

One of the pronouncements in the policy is inter-linking of rivers and inter basin water transfer. By doing this, water from excess basins can be transferred to deficit basins and requirements can be fulfilled.

To meet these objectives a Rajasthan State Water Resources Advisory Council and a Rajasthan River Basin and Water Resources Planning Authority is proposed to be set up.