Recognising water as a precious national asset, the National Water Policy embodies the Nation’s resolve that planning and development of water resources would be governed by a national perspective.
The policy recognises drainage basin as the basic unit of planning for development of water resources and calls for appropriate measures to optimise utilisation of this resource not only for the benefit of the people living in the basin, but also for transfer of surplus water to meet the requirements of areas which have shortage of water.
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The principal elements of the policy are recounted below:
1. Water is a precious national resource and its development should be governed by national perspectives;
2. The available resources, both surface and groundwater should be made utilisable to the maximum extent;
3. The unit of planning should be a hydrological unit such as a drainage basin or sub-basin. Appropriate organisations should be established for planned development and management of the river basins;
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4. Water should be made available to areas where there is a shortage by transfer from other areas including transfers from one river basin to another after taking into account the requirements of the basin;
5. Project planning for development of water resource should, as far as possible, be for multiple benefits based on integrated and multi- disciplinary approach having regard to human and ecological aspects and special needs of disadvantaged sections of the society;
6. In the allocation of water, ordinarily first priority should be for drinking water, with irrigation, hydro-power, industrial and other uses following in that order;
7. The groundwater potential should be periodically reassessed and its exploitation regulated with reference to recharge possibilities and consideration of social equity ;
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8. Due care should be taken right from the project planning stage to promote conjuctive use of surface water and groundwater;
9. Maintenance, modernisation and safety of structures should be ensured through proper organisational arrangements;
10. There should be close integration of water use and land use policies and distribution of water should be with due regard to equity and social justice ;
11. Efficiency of utilisation should be improved in all the diverse uses of water and conservation consciousness promoted through education, regulation, incentives and disincentives;
12. Water rates should be such as to foster the motivation for economy in water use and should adequately cover the annual maintenance and operational charges and a part of the fixed cost;
13. Farmers should be progressively involved in the management of irrigation system;
14. There should be a Master Plan for flood control and management of each flood prone basin.
15. In flood control and management, the strategy should be to reduce the intensity of floods by sound watershed management and provision of adequate flood cushion in water storage projects wherever feasible to facilitates better flood management of each flood prone basin ;
16. Land erosion by sea or river should be minimised by suitable cost- effective measures. Indiscriminate occupation of an economic activity in coastal areas and flood plain zones should be regulated ;
17. Needs of drought-prone areas should be given priority in the planning of project for development of water resources.
18. These areas should be made less vulnerable through soil moisture conservation measures and water harvesting practices, the minimisation of evaporation losses, the development of groundwater potential and transfer of surface water from surplus areas where feasible and appropriate.
19. Pastures, forestry or other modes of development which are relatively less water demanding should be encouraged ;
20. A national information system on water resources should be established with a network of data banks and data bases integrating and strengthening the existing Central and State level agencies;
21. Training and research efforts should be intensified as integral parts of water resources development programmes;