Water conflicts

The recent protests of farmers at Maval, near Pune, against the diversion of water from the Pavna dam to the Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporation, are a grim reminder that conflicts over the use of water for rural and urban needs may well escalate in the future, in view of the rapid rise in urban population. What's worse, farmers feel alienated from the Government on issues of land acquisition and water diversion for non-agricultural purposes, and do not buy the latter's assurances. Whether it is the NOIDA land acquisition fracas, or water diversion to industry from irrigation projects in Maharashtra, or the agitation by farmers in Orissa for a greater share of water from the Hirakud dam, the farmer feels short-changed. As a result there have been protests against power projects in Maharashtra because of apprehensions that the new plants will reduce the quantity of water available for irrigation.

In fact, the protests over power and steel plants could get louder if they are bound up with inter-State disputes over water use, as is probable in Karnataka. The setting up of steel and cement plants in the Krishna basin area in northern Karnataka could impact water availability to downstream farmers in Andhra Pradesh, a concern expressed by the State's Irrigation officials. When the Global Investors' Meet was staged in Karnataka in 2010, there was little or no emphasis on water conservation, though the envisaged projects would draw large quantities of water from the Alamatti dam. The Twelfth Plan approach paper lays special emphasis on water management, yet there is no evidence of serious forethought on how these situations can be sorted out. Just as a Bill on giving farmers a better deal in land acquisition awaits Parliament approval, an institutional framework must be created for water distribution that addresses the interests of all stakeholders — farmers, the urban population and industry.

The model Bill on groundwater — the Groundwater (Protection, Conservation, Management and Regulation) Bill, 2011 — gives us some leads. It accords top priority to livelihood needs, generally estimated at 70-150 litres per capita per day, and spells out the need to use water for livestock, fishing, irrigation, power generation, industrial and recreational uses. Agriculture and industry can improve their water efficiency. Irrigation accounts for over three-fourths of all water used; there is scope to reduce water usage in crops such as rice and sugarcane, in particular by using better varieties. With appropriate water tariffs, industries will be persuaded to adopt water recycling and conservation practices. Likewise, municipal bodies can reassess water pricing for residential consumers to reduce wastage, while, however, ensuring that every person's needs are met. Conflicts over land and water may become disturbingly common if we do not develop the institutional framework and long-term policies to ensure their equitable distribution.

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