Govt may put water in private hands

Move gets strong backing at Plan panel meeting

In a controversial move, the Planning Commission has strongly advocated greater participation of private sector in water management, proposing radical reforms in the water resources sector incuding pricing and distribution.

The commission proposed the out-of-the-box reforms during its full meeting on Thursday to discuss issues for the approach paper to the Twelfth Five Year Plan (2012-17).

The commission is believed to have made a strong pitch for private participation for effic­ient water utilisation in its presentation at the full meet of the Plan panel chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

But involving private players in pricing and distribution of water has been politically sens­itive and the proposals are th­e­r­efore likely to stir a hornet’s nest. 

Though the Centre has been asking the states to adopt privatisation in managing urban water distribution system, the move has been facing stiff resistance from the people who allege that private players would fleece them and take away their right on water.

Union Water Resources Minister Salman Khurshid admitted recently that water pricing is the biggest political issue in the country and suggested that people should pay according to their means.

Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia said the commission proposed to introduce massive reforms in water resources sector during the 12th Plan period to ensure that the scarce resource was distributed properly.

Before introducing the reforms, the commission proposes to undertake a study using satellite-based mapping of water bodies and resources, through ISRO. It will constitute a committee to prepare a report on the efficient use of water resources, from which a plan will be drawn up.

Top priority will be given to water utilisation for drinking, agriculture and industrial purposes. The quantum of water allocation for agriculture and industry sector will be decided by a water regulatory authority proposed to be set up in each state.

“Every state should move towards setting up their water regulatory authority so that it can regulate usage of the scarce natural resource,” he said.