State level regulator for water sector soon

Sumantra Das

With an aim to put more emphasis on water conservation the government chalks out plan to create state level regulator for water. The said regulator will be in charge to manage stress of future water requirements, said a senior Planning commission official.

"There is an urgent need to address future water woes. We have asked each state to create a separate regulator for water sector who will take care of future water management. Unlike other sector like energy, in water sector property right is not clear and pricing is also distorted. Thus, there should be a regulator in state level who can manage all these issues," told Montek Singh Ahluwalia to Infrastructure Today.

In addition, the National Water Policy which has only been adopted by the National Water Resources Council wherein the Prime Minister and all the chief ministers are participants. In that sense, we can say that all state governments have no objection or have adopted the frame work that is given in the National Water Policy, Ahluwalia said.