Punjab cabinet approves bill to set up water regulation authority

The Punjab Cabinet on Thursday approved a draft bill to set up a Water Regulation and Development Authority to effectively manage and conserve water resources of the state.

The Punjab Water Resources (Management and Regulation) Bill, 2020proposes to manage and regulate water resources efficaciously, besides ensuring its judicious, equitable and sustainable utilisation, an official release said here.

The water regulation authority will comprise a chairman and two other members to be appointed by the government.

It will be responsible for the management and conservation of water resources of the state in a judicious, equitable and sustainable manner, and will be empowered to take all such measures as it deems necessary or expedient for this purpose, the release said.

The authority will also be empowered to issue directions and guidelines for the conservation and management of the water resources, besides issuing tariff orders specifying the charges to be imposed by entities supplying water for drinking, domestic, commercial or industrial use, it added.

The bill also proposes to constitute an Advisory Committee on Water Resources, to be notified by the government. It will consist of experts and ex-officio members from various government departments to advise the authority. The authority may also engage experts on its own.

The decision was taken by the cabinet at its meeting here under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.