No focus on demarcation of water sources, removal of encroachments
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, July 1: In yet another testimony of absolute non-seriousness of the administration, implementation of Jammu and Kashmir State Water Policy has not begun even eight months after its notification following approval by the State Cabinet. This has established that no importance is being given to optimum use of scarce water resources, demarcation of water bodies and removal of encroachments.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that in order to regulate water resources and ensure their judicious, equitable and sustainable management, allocation and utilization, the Government in the year 2010 enacted Jammu and Kashmir Water Resources (Regulation and Management) Act.
As per Section 4 of this Act, the Government was supposed to prepare State Water Policy and Plan for effective development, management, planning, utilization and monitoring of water resources in the State.
However, this provision of the law failed to receive due attention of all the concerned authorities including Jammu and Kashmir Water Resources Regulatory Authority for several years. In the meanwhile, some Public Interest Litigations (PILs) were filed before the State High Court seeking strict implementation of Jammu and Kashmir Water Resources (Regulation and Management) Act.
The Division Bench of the State High Court on numerous occasions passed directions for strict adherence to the provisions of the law including preparation of State Water Policy and Plan. After dilly-dallying approach of several years, draft policy was prepared and submitted to the Government for approval.
As per the State Cabinet Decision No.71/5/2017 dated June 7, 2017, a Cabinet Sub-Committee headed by the then Deputy Chief Minister was constituted to examine the draft and submit report within a period of one month. However, this process also took unreasonably long time and finally State Cabinet on October 23, 2017 approved Water Policy and Plan.
On October 25, 2017, the Department of PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control notified the policy while exercising the powers conferred by Section 2 of the J&K Water Resources (Regulation and Management) Act, 2010. It was specifically mentioned in the notification that Department of Forest, Ecology and Environment shall also be associated as an important stakeholder in the implementation of the policy.
However, even eight months after the notification of the policy its implementation has yet not begun due to absolute non-seriousness on the part of all the concerned authorities, sources said, adding “the shocking aspect is that even no discussion between J&K Water Resources Management Authority, senior functionaries of the PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Department and Department of Forest, Ecology and Environment has been initiated to chalk out the strategy for effective implementation of the policy”.
When contacted, officers of PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control and Forest, Ecology and Environment Departments confirmed that no discussion has been conducted on the implementation of policy so far. Interestingly, several officers of these departments are not even aware of the broad contours of the policy.
The non-serious approach is notwithstanding the fact that State Water Policy lays enough thrust on conservation of rivers, river corridors, water-bodies and associated infrastructure in a scientifically planned manner by involving all the concerned departments, sources said.
Moreover, the policy lays stress on proper demarcation of water sources to ensure that ‘khads’ are segregated from ‘khads’ which don’t form water course. “The Irrigation and Flood Control and Revenue Departments will take effective steps for delineation/demarcation of water sources/water courses and the same shall be notified district wise separately for removal of encroachments”, read the policy.
The responsibility of implementation of policy is not only of Water Resources Regulatory Authority, PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control and Forest and Environment Departments as the policy states: “the Divisional Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners shall also be responsible for implementation at cutting edge level with the involvement of Urban Local Bodies, Municipal Corporations and water user associations”.
“Encroachments and diversion of water bodies like rivers, lakes, ponds, wetlands and water courses etc and drainage channels would not be allowed and wherever it has taken place it would be restored and maintained properly by the authorities vested with such powers. Moreover, the sources of water and water bodies would not be allowed to get polluted and system of third party periodic inspections would be evolved and stringent punitive actions taken against the persons responsible for causing pollution”, the policy further states.
Laying thrust on flood management, the policy says: “measures shall be taken to protect the natural drainage systems by removing artificial barriers/encroachments in the path of flow of excess drainage water”.
“How much important aspects are being ignored by the administration by not implementing the policy can be easily gauged”, sources remarked.
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