Centre to reward states fast tracking water sector reforms

"...The state adopting water sector reforms on fast track basis will be treated reform-friendly state and liberal funding criteria may be linked to water sector reforms by the states," says the agenda paper distributed at a meeting of state water resources and irrigation secretaries here today.

Against an annual average coverage of roughly 0.4 million hectare, the required capacity is at least 2 million hectare.

The Centre has been trying to increase the irrigation potential created through the Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP), but the gap still continues.

The meeting also witnessed some hard talk by the Centre as Secretary Water Resources D V Singh told the delegates to provide inputs failing which the ministry will be forced to finalise the schemes on its own.

"We would like inputs from the states. Because, if we do not get inputs that suggest that we modify the scheme, we will have to go ahead and finalise the scheme as it is," he said.

The Water Resources Ministry is launching nationwide aquifer mapping - the study and mapping of rocks that hold and transmit groundwater