India is all set to lay out another template for other countries on securing water security by integrating fragmented institutions. Comment.

Modi government has made it clear that water security is everyone�s business. The Central government has asked all the state governments to give top priority to the subject of water security. The government itself has set a live example by giving top priority to the subject of water and setting up of the new Jal Shakti Mantralaya. This step has actually integrated all the ministries related to water like Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation and also the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation. The only focus of the new ministry will be on water with a capital W. Indian water management system had been highly fragmented divided across 7 ministries and 10 departments. In addition to the overlapping roles there was an absence of absolute authority for taking the necessary decisions to resolve the water issues. Even Niti Aayog has made a sound beginning by bringing together all the sub-sectors of water and creation of an integrated water management index and even ranking of states on the basis.
It has been estimated that India is entering water crisis territory and by 2030 the water demand in the country will double. Going by this speed it can be said that a major chunk of our population will have only limited or no access to water by 2050. Integrated water management in the country was thus never more pronounced than now.

Topics: GS-III: Conservation Environmental Pollution Degradation