Rising demand, poor funding reasons for water shortage: CWC

Bangalore, Feb 6 (UNI) Central Water Commission Chairman S K Das has held rising demand and reducing budgetary provisions for irrigation sector responsible for the country facing acute water scarcity.

Delivering a lecture on 'Water vision to avoid water wars in India' at an international workshop on Integrated Water Resource Management 2007, organised by the Karnataka Environment Research Foundation here yesterday, he felt that over-exploitation of groundwater had resulted in declining per capita water availability in the country.

Mr Das said due to change in socio-economic and demographic nature of the country, several inter-state water rows were witnessed which needs to be redressed through negotiations and mutual agreements as they proved to be more effective.

As water resources was a State subject, it was imperative for the States to go in for negotiations to maximise the chances of agreement on allocation in the event of any conflict.

He opined that while judicial intervention in any water-related conflict had the advantage of finding answers, the laborious process caused inordinate delay.

UNI