Maharashtra to have new water policy

Against the backdrop of the severe drought in several parts of the state prior to this monsoon, Maharashtra Government is preparing a water policy on the lines of the National Water Policy.
The National Water Policy (NWP) stipulates that state policies should be drafted/revised in accordance with it, a senior official said.
The government has invited comments/suggestions from various societies working in different sectors, NGOs and other water users for the modification of the present State Water Policy which has been in existence since 2003, he said.
NWP was first framed in 1987 and modified in April 2002. It requires that every state formulate its own water policy backed by an action plan.

The Departments involved in revision of the state water policy include the Water Resources Department, Water Supply and Sanitation Department, Environmental Department and Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority (MWRRA).
In the 2003 State Water Policy, the priority of water use was: Drinking, Industrial and Irrigation. However, in May 2011 there was a revision of priority: Drinking, Irrigation and Industrial use.