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. Departments involved in revision of state water policy include Water Resources Department, Water Supply and Sanitation Department, Environmental Department and Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority (MWRRA).