Maharashtra

The document describes the details of the Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority Act and includes:

• Short title, extent and commencement
• Definitions of the terms used in the Act
• Establishment and incorporation of the Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority
• Powers functions and duties of the authority
• Permission of River Basin Agency, State Water Planning
• Accounts, audits and reports
• Special powers of authority for removal of backlog as per Governer's directives

The document describes the Maharashtra Groundwater Act, which is an Act to regulate the exploitation of groundwater for the protection of public drinking water sources and includes the details of :

• Short title and commencement of the Act
• Definitions of the terms used in the Act
• Protection measures for public drinking water sources
  • Prohibition of construction of wells within certain limits
  • Declaration of water scarcity area
  • Regulation of extraction of water from wells in water scarcity areas
  • Declaration of over exploited watershed
  • Prohibition of sinking of well in over exploited watershed
  • Prohibition of extraction of water from an existing well for certain period
  • Closing down existing well
  • Power of entry upon any land for obtaining information
  • Power to stop contravention of the provisions of section 3, 5, 7, 8 or 9
  • Payment of compensation
  • Bar to claim compensation

This document describes the details of the Industrial, Investment and Infrastructure Policy of Maharashtra. The document includes:

• The background to the policy
• Industry scenario at the national level
• Maharashtra: The preferred industrial investment destination
• Policy objective
• Policy targets
• Policy validity
• Strategies
• Thrust areas
• Infrastructure and communication: the growth engines
• Promotional and financial incentives
• Cluster approach for development
• Co-operative industrial estates
• Sick units: Revival and exit
• New industrial townships
• Special economic zones
• Marketing assistance
• International exhibition centres
• Resource mapping and showcasing state's potential
• HR initiatives
• Labour laws and procedures
• Single window clearance
• Promotion of foreign direct investment
• Restructuring of industries department
• Review and monitoring

This report by ICRISAT deals with a survey of thirty-two tanks and farm data from Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra states to assess the economic performance of irrigation tanks in semi arid tropics of India. It uses district-wise data on climatic and institutional variables to analyze the factors affecting tank-irrigation density. Results indicate that the spatial distribution of irrigation tanks is determined primarily by physical factors—hard rock substratum, post-monsoon rains, low moisture-holding capacity of soils and by population density.

Guest post by Parineeta Dandekar

While this news item was about to be published, Pune received heavy rains on the 4th of October (highest in the last 118 years, 104 mm in 40 minutes and 181.3 mm in 24 hours). While the city administration stressed that this was a cloud burst, this claim was quashed by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). This was said to a rare event, which was experienced in many places in Maharashtra.

10 people lost their lives to these rains, including three young children and a 25 year old Ph D researcher, Agnimitra Bannerjee, from National Chemical Laboratory, who was washed away in a channelised nallah stretch. Channels prove to be much more dangerous as the velocity of water is high and there is nothing to hold on to, in case a person falls in one of these fast-flowing nallah channels.

CSO Partners Annual Workshop Series, 2010

Theme: "Parliamentary Procedure and Engaging effectively with State Legislators"

• Publication and Documentation Officer

Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR)

Location: Pune
Last Date: October 16, 2010

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