(a) whether the Government proposes to undertake conservation of water and other
development work through associated consumer groups; and
(b) if so, the steps taken by the Government for motivating the said groups?
(a) whether the Government proposes to undertake conservation of water and other
development work through associated consumer groups; and
(b) if so, the steps taken by the Government for motivating the said groups?
THE MINISTER OF WATER RESOURCES ( SHRI HARISH RAWAT)
(a) & (b) Yes, Madam. The draft National Water Policy (2012) adopted by the National Water
Resources Council at its sixth Meeting held on 28.12.2012 recommends that community based
water management should be institutionalized and strengthened. The draft Policy further recommends
that a national campaign for water literacy needs to be started for capacity building of different
stakeholders in the water sector.
Fifteen States viz. Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala,
Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh have either
enacted exclusive legislation or amended their Irrigation Acts for involvement of farmers in
irrigation management. So far 63,167 Water Users’ Associations have been formed in various States
covering an area of 14.623 million hectares under various commands of irrigation projects.