POLICY PRESCRIPTION & IMPLEMENTATION

 

 

Core Issues

 

At present there is no comprehensive water policy, Policies that are in vogue, are derived largely from the laws that had been promulgated for specific matters relating to water use and which are not necessarily inter-related. Policy prescriptions have been laid down from time to time for some aspects relating to water. In this disjointed policy framework recognition of and coherence to fundamental principal is lacking. Moreover all the policies have been imposed without involving those who may be affected by them. As a result disputes pertaining to water use its development have continue and continue to impact on future development and inefficiencies in water use are being perpetrated.

 

 

Core Objectives

 

 

The core objective is to develop, with the broadest consensus, a comprehensive Water Policy which would lead to sustainable and the most effective utilization and conservation of all the available water resources for the benefit of all the people of the country.

 

 

Strategies

 

 

For evolving the comprehensive Water Policy while involving those who would be affected by it the following strategies are proposed:-

 

• Fostering the formulation of "water users groups" by the concerned organizations at different levels.
• Information dissemination to the "water users groups" on the present policy (and laws) and their implications.
• Studies, on all policy elements, which should be covered by the comprehensive policy and discussion thereon by the concerned water users and the interacting agencies (studies under the NDP are a step in the right directions).
• Drafting of Draft Policy and nation wide deliberation thereon.

Proposed Action

The Federal Government through the Planning Division, should initiate the process of policy formulation, actively involving the Provincial Governments and other stakeholders so that the policy could be adopted in a period of 3 years.

The process of policy formulation should be taken up connectivity with a review of the existing laws so as to define the legal framework which should be put in place to give affect to the policy.