Policies, Laws and Regulations

Working Group Meetings formed by a panel of experts in the respective field, formed a significant aspect of WHSC Conference. The conference is geared towards effecting a change in the way water resources are governed and managed. Towards this, the working group meeting's recommendations were valuable, and awaited.

The proceedings of the Consultation on “Emerging Water Regulatory Frameworks and Related Reforms in Water Governance in Karnataka” that was held on 02 September 2009 at Bangalore. Please do send us your comments.

In continuation with our efforts within Karnataka we have taken up two initiatives:

1. Review of the ongoing reform processes in Urban Water Governance, with a special focus on the establishment of the Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Council.
2. Preparation of a general reader on water governance in the form of a booklet with a special focus on regulatory reforms in Karnataka, available both in Karnataka and Kannada (targeted at non-academic audiences such as NGO's and CSO's).

Water is a complex subject that gives rise to many issues, and several of them have legal aspects. The book proceeds from various water-related problems and issues to the legal questions that arise in those contexts, examines the adequacy and appropriateness of the relevant existing laws, if any, and considers the changes and reforms that are needed. It seeks to cover the ground extensively. The book also briefly raises and explores the case for a constitutional declaration on water and an over-arching national water law. This compendious volume thus straddles two domains, viz.,

(i) water-resource policy, management, conservation, conflict-resolution, etc (in itself a multiple domain encompassing many concerns and disciplines); and

(ii) water law

Water And The Laws In India, edited by Edited by Ramaswamy R Iyer, Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi. Published by SAGE Publications.

Laws relating to water in India have diverse origins, including ancient local customs and the British Common Law. The in-depth chapters in this compendium, written by luminaries from various fields, pertain to issues on water and proceed to a discussion of the legal questions that arise. This volume thus straddles two domains, viz., (i) water-resource policy, management, conservation, conflict-resolution, etc., and (ii) water law. The book also briefly raises and explores the case for a constitutional declaration on water and an overarching national water law.

The book is an invaluable resource for policy-makers, planners and administrators concerned with water at the Central, State and local levels; students, academics and practitioners in the domains of water as well as law; and social scientists, NGOs and activists concerned with the various issues discussed in the book. It should be useful as a main or supplementary textbook in universities and research or management institutions where any aspect of water (engineering, ecological, legal, social, economic, management or other) is a subject of study.

A list of contributors to the book is as follows:

Report of the Steering Committe on Agricultre for the Tenth Five Year Plan
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This page provides links and information on the policies or initiatives undertaken by the  Ministry of Agriculture. These include the following:

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This would lead to a drastic increase in GHG emissions. There is the need to make a choice for a low-carbon path, even if there is no mandated reduction in GHG emissions.

This paper, published in the journal Development argues that new policy interventions such as Pani Panchayat in Orissa, India ignore the local socioeconomic contexts and fail to ensure co