The Manohar lal Khattar Government in Haryana has decided to set up a State Water Regulatory Authority, in a bid to manage and regulate the utilization of water resources in the state.
As per the State Government’s proposal, the powers of the Water Regulatory Authority would include fixing and regulating the water tariff system for domestic, industrial, agriculture and other sectors in the state.
The Regulatory Authority would determine and regulate the allocation of water entitlement for various categories or consumers in Haryana. It will also assist the government in formulating policies and work with communities to implement better norms for water consumption and management.
The Authority would be headed by a retired IAS officer and will have members from various departments.
“To manage the sustainable use of water throughout the state, a State Water Regulatory Authority would be constituted in Haryana. A draft of the Water Regulatory Authority has been prepared by the Department,” said a senior official of Haryana Irrigation and Water Resources Department, while talking to The Pioneer.
He said that the Authority would regulate the water tariff and allocation to various sectors in the state. It will also provide modelling and analysis of data depicting the impacts of climate change on water resources, said he.
At present, the water quality and water wastage by all stakeholders, including agriculture, industry, institutions, and household, remains a challenge for the state, added he.
As per the State Government’s data, the availability of surface water is reducing day by day due to less rainfall and global warming. This has caused shifts in the canal networks, resulting in lower availability of surface-based water and failure in surface- based water supply programmes, particularly in Southern Haryana’s districts.
A dip in the water table and non-availability of surface water have led to the over exploitation of existing groundwater sources in the districts of Mewat, Palwal, and Gurugram.
The government’s data shows that from June 1974 to June 2015, Haryana has witnessed a decline of 8.56 m, from 9.19m to 17.75m, in its water table. The state presently has 17 dark zones (where groundwater has fallen beyond a parameter) and 13 districts which lack any safe blocks (areas with groundwater potential for development). Within the remaining districts, there are 15 critical blocks, 7 semi-critical blocks, and only 23 safe blocks.
The low availability of potable water in areas like Mewat, Palwal and Gurugram continues due to lack of water resources and inadequate infrastructure. leakages within the water distribution system, depletion of existing water resources and poor quality of water has compounded this issue.
Apart from this, continuous extraction of water for irrigation activities in the districts of Jind and Kaithal has caused deterioration of the groundwater quality in these regions. In contrast, in Jhajjar, Bhiwani, and Rohtak though the water table is high, the groundwater is brackish and hence not potable, according to the State Government.