'Appropriate pricing' needed for commercial water extraction: Montek

New Delhi, Nov 14: Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia today called for 'appropriate pricing' for ground water extraction and said that the the Commission was looking into the issue of whether it was possible to levy a cess on ground water users of ground water for non-drinking purposes.

Addressing the 12th National Symposium on 'Groundwater Governance: Ownership of Groundwater and Pricing', Dr Ahluwalia said the Kirit Parikh Committee of the Planning Commission, which was dealing with the water issue, was considering the issue. The Committee has submitted an Interim report and the final report, which is to be finalised by December, will be placed for discussion at the National Development Council meeting when it discusses 11th Plan.

Stating that it was a complex problem and workable solution have to be found in cooperation with the states and make it mandatory for recharging of ground water in water scarce areas, he said ground water extraction was currently governed by 125-yeas-old ''archaic'' Indian Easement Law, which empowered the people with legal rights to extract ground water, and was fundamentally inconsistent with the national policy which wants to treat water as a 'precious national asset'. Noting that the law was prepared when per capita availability of water was very high, he noted that the increased population had jacked up the demand for water and it was time to change the law to suit the present day needs.

Dr Ahluwalia said that as an economist, he was of the feeling that it was not rational to allow anybody and everybody to freely extract ground water without levying an appropriate price. The Planning Commission body was looking into the issue for finalising its views.

Dr Ahluwalia said it was also important to ponder about bringing ground water in the concurent list so that the centre could also deal with it whereas it was now a state subject. Currently only inter-state water was a national issue and the model Water Bill sent to the states for adoption has been found acceptable only by a handful of states.

He said it was important to deliberate over if one should allow the water lords to extract the ground water and sell it to others for a profit.

''Water is a national asset and every citizen should have a right over the rain generated in the country. It defies logic and economics that person or a compnay is allowed to extract it without any payment. There should be some collective decision making in the ground water usage also like it was happening in the use of canal water management, '' he remarked.

When a national asset is scarce, it should be charged and a cess levied on those who extract ground water for non-drinking purposes.

The amount thus collected could be used for taking measures to recharge the depleted water. He said it was not a typical Indian problem but most countries in the world had found tackling this issue difficult.

''Water availablity in the country was comfortable but it was not uniform and there were areas of water stress in the country,''he added.

Touching upon deterioration of ground water quality Dr Ahluwalia said that the check on effluent release was again in the hands of the state governments and unless there was a proper control, the situation was bound to worsen. He said major portion of ground water recharging had been taking place because of water impounded in dams and reservoirs and 75 to 80 per cent of the crops were grown in the country were irrigated by ground water.

Touching upon another sensitive issue--providing energy for pumping ground water, he said the only payment levied on the user is for power to pump up the water and queried whether such a position should be allowed to continue. In some states the extractor is provided with energy with the payment per connection charge and was not according to the volumetric usage, he said.

''Ground water recharge has to be high on the national agenda if we need to use ground water at a sustinable levels. The country also needs to think about the technologies available for recharge as it was not a matter of 'throwing money' under some head. The country does possess technology and manpower but we have to ensure quality of technological design and monitoring system is in place, Dr Ahluwalia noted, adding industrial users should be made to realise that the polluter has to pay.

He said there was a need to adopt a human approach on an issue hitherto considered as freely available. Air is not a scarce commodity but the quality of air was under stress.

Inagurating the two day conference jointly organised by Central Ground Water Board and National Institute of Hydrology, Union Minister for Water Resources Saifuddin Soz avoided the issue of pricing and said the rapid population growth and changing lifestyle was putting pressure on earth's resources. It is of paramount importance that basic natural resources -- air, land and water properly managed. The quantity, and quality of these resources are critical to ensure adequate food supplies and public health.

He said the ground water was regarded as reliable resource and had tremendous implications for agricultural production and productivity as well lives of millions of people. A large number of well owners were exploiting the ground water on their own initiatives. The unscientific and inefficient use of this vital resource is contributing to scarcity, declining water levels and sharp deterioration in water quality, the Minister said.

Prof Soz, who also heads the Artificial Recharge Advisory Council said that the body had recommended certain concrete steps including organisation of ground water usage among various aspects of water management.

Several experts, NGO representatives and top fficials are discussing policy issues concerning ground water usage, conservation, pricing structure today and tomorrow.

UNI