DELHI: The meeting of the National Water Resources Council (NWRO), has evoked mixed views on the necessity for framing of guidelines on the sharing of interstate rivers with the Prime Minister, Mn P.V. ‘Narasimha Rao, assuring the states that there will not be any imposition of policy on anybody. While most Chief Ministers agreed that it was important to treat water as a national resource, total unanimity eluded them on the question of evolving guidelines for sharing of river waters. “The Prime Minister, who sat through the lengthy deliberations, said in his concluding remarks that there would not be any kind of imposition from the Center of the guidelines on water sharing or any water issue. He was reacting to the view of some Chief Ministers that over central is action could turn out to be counterproductive.

Me. Rao pointed out that the problems in different regions and river basins were different. Therefore, it was all the more important that the Center and the states deliberate and arrives at a Consensus in evolving solutions to the problems.

Current deliberations, he hoped, would find a positive response in the Ninth Plan. He also asked the Ministry of Water Resources to ensure sufficient funds were earmarked for the maintenance and repair of existing river systems.

The Haryans Chief Minister, Mr. Bhajan Lal, while speaking at the meeting said that if Punjab agrees to complete the Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL) canal at the earliest “we are ready to withdraw the case from the Supreme Court.”

While the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr. Harcharan Singh Brar, at the same meeting expressed the fear that the Punjab farmers might be unfairly forced to part with their waters even though the available reserves were already inadequate for them. The existing water usage of the state should be protected, he added.

Mr, Bhajan Lal urged the Prime Minister to persuade Punjab to complete the Satluj Yamuna link canal at the earliest.

He said that the SYL was the “lifeline” of Haryana its 91-km long portion was completed in Haryana in 1980 and its 95% construction work had also been completed in Punjab.

Mr. Brar said that he did not agree with the concept of inter-hasin transfer of water except where there was surplus water. The development of micro-watersheds, judicious mix of small and larger water storage reservoirs and ground water development should be welcomed, he added.

Stressing the off repeated demand of Punjab to seek, protection of existing water usage in surplus Ravi Beas waters, the Punjab Chief Minister demanded review of the earlier allocations and the present need of the state within a reasonable period.

Pointing that the sharing of water always raised highly emotional and often violent sentiments among the people, he said, “We cannot over emphasize the need for a national policy which should respect the universally accepted rights of basin areas, should be fair and uniformly applied all over the country.”

Ms. Jayalalitha said that in the face of the Center not having enforced the directions of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, “the entire purpose in debating draft guidelines for water allocation seems to be a pointless exercise in utter futility.”

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister contended that the executive guidelines, if reached by consensus, might have some party to play in bilateral negotiations. “Even then, they may not be binding on the parties and there is no guarantee that the states concerned would follow them,” she said.

The Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr, Virbhadra Singh who was also present called for change in the National Water Policy suggesting that the right to exploit the power potential or any other project involving no consumptive use should exclusively be vested with the center.

Article extracted from this publication >>  February 14, 1996