Water and Federalism

Water and Federalism

Inception Workshop

Centre for Policy Research (CPR), New Delhi  12 October 2018

 Some points for consideration

Pradeep Purandare ⁽¹⁾          

Water is both a State as well as a Central Subject if we consider Entry 17, 56, 20 & Article 262 together. It is important for Centre – State Relationship & Cooperative Federalism. It is perhaps an example of Checks & Balances built in our Constitution & needs to be honoured to avoid excesses at any level.

 It is also necessary to consider Amendments 42, 73 & 74 which provide for State- People-Environment Relationship.

It is expected that WRM strategies of States should be as per their own Soil-Crop-Climate & availability of water. There is nothing wrong in it.

Modern concepts of Water Management, Governance & Regulation (WMGR) demand compatible physical system. Irrigation Systems at present are up-stream controlled, manually operated, mostly open channel systems without any arrangement for canal operation based on Real Time data. As such these systems are not compatible & amenable with the demands of WMGR. Central Govt can play a pivotal role  in modernisation of  irrigation systems.

From WMGR point of view, it is high time to initiate

·       Sub basin-wise Water Courts

·       Basin & National Water Resources Regulatory Authorities                                                              

Pl  see  following attachments for details

1.      Water & the Constitution of India – Checks & Balances

2.      Sub Basin-wise Water Courts

3.      Basin & National Water Resources Regulatory Authorities

Pradeep Purandare, “Making irrigation systems compatible & amenable to modern concepts”,

Round Table on Institutional and Policy Reforms to Accelerate Agriculture Growth in Maharashtra, “Pune International Centre (PIC), Saturday, 1st September 2018 

                                                                                                                        

1)      How do states’ set their WRM strategies and priorities? What are their rationalities and preferences?

2)      What kind of influence do inter-governmental transfers have in shaping/shifting states’ WRM approaches? To what extent? Limits of such an approach?

3)      What kind of incentivization of inter-governmental transfers can help centre influence states’ WRM performance? Are composite metrics (e.g. NITI’s CWMI) useful? What alternatives are possible?

4)      How do central policies, laws and institutions impact WRM preferences of states? What better ways of deploying these instruments?