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Indian Water Scenario
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| Supply of water and sewerage services forms part of the State list of the constitution and therefore is the responsibility of Concerned State Governments. The State Governments on their part fulfil such responsibilities through state level functional authorities or the local bodies. |
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| The Ministry of Urban Affairs of the Government of India, formed in 1985, was set up to review State development plans, and influence the policies and practices of the Urban Water Supply and Sewerage Sector. The Planning Commission also has a special cell that advises on the sector policy. |
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| The supply of drinking water and sewerage services in India are provided by a variety of functional authorities/local bodies which include the following : |
- State Water Supply and Sewerage Boards
- Metro Water Authorities/Boards
- Municipal Corporations through their Water Supply and Sewerage Divisions
- Captive Water Supply for large industries
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The functional domain and the scope of services of various entities varies, from implementation of water supply projects, responsibility for supply of water, to the maintenance of services and collection of tariffs. For example, whereas the Kerala Water Authority is responsible for the entire range of the above services, the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board is responsible only for the implementation of projects with provision of services being the responsibility of local bodies.
Typically, the role of a Water Supply and Sewerage Board is to implement projects, as well as provide services and collect tariffs.
Government of India 's new reform policy in water sector states:
- Water is a commodity not a free service.
- The approach should be demand driven as against the present concept of supply driven planning.
- The Government and it's organization should function as facilitator and not a provider.
- Users would be fully responsible for operation and maintenance at local distribution level.
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| Water is a critical resource for Gujarat. In the past, lack of water resources in the State has often been perceived to be a constraint to growth and the State accordingly accorded the highest priority to investments in the water sector. |
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| A well thought out water policy is therefore of the highest importance to the State. The policy should take into consideration, on the one hand, the need for the State to exert control over the sector due to its strategic and politically sensitive nature; and on the other hand, mobilised massive resource requirement for the sector, through appropriate private investments. |
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| Long term planning for the water sector have been finalised for the State, which identifies resource gap and projects to be developed. In next stage it is formulating a comprehensive policy for private investments, and accordingly appropriate legal, regulatory and institutional structures for improving services and to encourage private players. |
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Traditionally, for the purposes of planning in the State of Gujarat, four different segments are considered separately for the water sector :
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| Bulk water supply schemes |
- Water supply schemes for rural and smaller urban areas.
- Water supply schemes for larger urban areas, implemented by Municipal Corporations
- Supply of water to large industrial users and industrial estates by GIDC
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| The implementing and administrative agencies of these segments are different. However, at planning and policy formulation stage entire water resource of the state and its management is considered in an integrated way while approaching real challenges and to set priorities. |
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| There are only three perennial rivers flowing through Gujarat viz. Narmada, Tapi and Mahi, all of which are located in South Gujarat. There is a major non-perennial river, Sabarmati that flows through the districts of Sabarkantha, Mehsana and Ahmedabad. |
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| The rainfall pattern is erratic, and this has made certain areas of the state extremely susceptible to drought conditions. This is exacerbated by the very specific and peculiar geological and geohydrological situation like rocky terrain, desert region, a 1600 Km long coastline and deteriorating ground water quality.; |
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| The state has faced at least 3 drought years in the last 10 years. The worst affected regions are the districts in the Saurashtra and Kutchch regions of the state, which have no perennial river flowing through the area, nor do they have any sustainable ground water source. During the drought affected years, the Government has to incur Huge expenditure to provide drinking water to the affected areas through tankers. Such temporary solutions are costly, options have to be affordable |
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| Given this background, it is clear that providing drinking water on a sustainable basis to the rural and urban masses of the people of Gujarat is an issue of major concern to the Government. There is an urgent need to implement integrated water supply schemes, which would provide long-term solution to the water problem |