Page 34 - Water Every Drop Counts
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WATER
MANAGEMENT
INDIAN MILESTONES
> 2000 yrs. ago Evidence of the practice of irrigation since the establishment of
settled agriculture during the Indus Valley Civilization.
Kallanai Dam, world’s first dam was constructed in India on
WATER AND INDIAN CONSTITUTION River Cauvery near Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu. Even today, this
dam is able to store and regulate water, and this dam remains
a testimony for ancient India’s engineering expertise.
The provision of clean drinking water has been 1800 yrs. ago The Grand Anicut (Canal) across the river Cauvery in Tamil
given priority in the Constitution of India. Nadu is built.
Article 47 confers the duty of providing clean 1873 Establishment of the early Northern India Canal and Drainage Act to
regulate irrigation, navigation and drainage in Northern India.
drinking water and improving public health End of 19th Century: Following major famines, major irrigation canals are
standards to the State. The relevant provisions of built, and in 1900 the Indian peninsula (including
the Indian Constitution are : Bangladesh and Pakistan) has some 13 million
hectares under irrigation.
• Entry 17 in the State List 1902 India’s first major hydroelectric power installation (Shivsamudram)
• Entry 56 in the Union List and started generating electricity. The power station initially transmitted three
megawatts of electricity 90 miles to the Kolar Gold Field mines operated
• Article 262. by a consortium of British companies.
1956 The Inter-State Water Disputes Act provides a framework for the
The first provision makes water a state subject, resolution of possible conflicts.
but qualified by Entry 56 in the Union List, which 1974 Establishment of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution)
states: “Regulation and development of inter-state Act to prevent and control water pollution and to maintain/restore
rivers and river valleys to the extent to which such wholesomeness of water. It established both a Central Pollution Control
Board, and State Pollution Control Boards to monitor and enforce the
regulation and development under the control regulations.
of the Union is declared by parliament by law to 1974 Centrally sponsored Command Area Development (CAD) Programme
be expedient in the public interest.” Article 262 is launched to optimize agriculture production and productivity from
irrigated agriculture.
explicitly grants parliament the right to legislate 1984 Pollution control action plan of the Ganga river basin is formulated for
over the matters in Entry 56, and also gives it implementation by the newly constituted Central Ganga Authority, to
primacy over the Supreme Court. oversee pollution control and the consequent cleaning of Ganga.
1985 Central Ministry of Water Resources is established.
The Inter-State Water Disputes Act, 1956 was 1987 National Water Policy is adopted. The policy emphasized participatory
legislated to deal with conflicts, and included approach in water resources management.
provisions for the establishment of tribunals to 1996 Central Groundwater Authority established to regulate and control
adjudicate where direct negotiations have failed. groundwater development.
However, states have sometimes refused to 1996 Bangladesh & India sign a treaty on sharing of waters of river Ganga.
accept the decisions of tribunals. 2002 National Water Policy revised.
2005 The National Groundwater Recharge Master Plan (NGRMP) is formed
which provides a nationwide assessment of the groundwater recharge
potential and outlines the guiding principles for an artificial groundwater
recharge programme.
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