Policies, Laws and Regulations

The document emphasises the need for periodic modifications in the water policy. This is  in terms of planning and management of water resources by taking into consideration the changes in economic, social, climatic, demographic situation of the country and the urgent need to conserve the available water resources.

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Volume I is divided into six chapters and includes:

Chapter 1: Provides a brief introduction on the background of the National Water Mission in the context of the threat of climatic change and its impact on reduction in the water resources in the country.

Chapter 2: Describes the objectives or features of the National Water Mission

In view of this scenario, and the housing shortage and budgetary constraints of both the central and state governments, the policy highlights the need for promotion of public-private partnerships to reach its goal of Affordable Housing for All.

Lakes are integral components of the ecosystem and serve as natural habitats to a variety of plants and animals, besides being important sources of drinking water and livelihood for people. Industralisation has lead to the release of pollutants into the lakes and destruction of their natural habitats, thus making them unfit for use.

The document includes information on: 

The National Environment Policy (NEP) by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) aims at mainstreaming environmental concerns into all developmental activities. It emphasises conservation of resources, and points that the best way to aid conservation is to ensure that people dependent on resources obtain better livelihoods from conservation, than from degradation of the resources. It argues that environmental degradation often leads to poverty and poor health outcomes among populations.

The  document is guided by the following principles:

These two documents by the Government of India, Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR) provide information and details on the 'Repair, Renovation and Restoration (RRR) of Water Bodies' scheme that has been launched by the Ministry under the state sector, one with domestic budgetary support and the other with external assistance.

Water law and policy framework in India has undergone significant changes in the last couple decades. Given the complex nature of the law and policy framework, the awareness among common people is minimal or nil. This is an irony given the fact that recent law and policy changes call for ‘users’ to be as a key player in the management and development of water.

The Eleventh Plan (2007-08 to 2011-12) sought to build on the gains achieved in the Tenth Plan and shift the economy to a path of faster and more inclusive growth. The Mid Term Appraisal (MTA) report for the Eleventh Five Year Plan 2007-2012  by the Planning Commission reviews the experience in the first three years of the Plan and seeks to identify areas where corrective steps may be needed.

The Eleventh Plan recognises the special challenges of water resources management facing India and the likelihood that these will grow over time due to the rising population and industrialisation. 

This chapter discusses the major features of the water problem facing the country followed by a review of the performance of the schemes dealing with water in the Eleventh Plan. The chapter also proposes an alternative approach to be elaborated into an operational strategy to be implemented in the Twelfth Five Year Plan.

The Eleventh Plan (2007-08 to 2011-12) sought to build on the gains achieved in the Tenth Plan and shift the economy to a path of faster and more inclusive growth. The Mid Term Appraisal (MTA) report for the Eleventh Five Year Plan 2007-2012 by the Planning Commission reviews the experience in the first three years of the Plan and seeks to identify areas where corrective steps may be needed.