India cannot subsidise commercial use of water
Thursday, 13 September 2007
NEW DELHI, Sept 12 (PTI): Highlighting drawbacks in providing free power to farmers, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday said government cannot continue to subsidise the economic and commercial use of water.
"Providing free power to farmers has encouraged excessive use of pump sets and excessive drawing of ground water. If there is economic pricing of power, there would be some incentive for conserving ground water," he said inaugurating the National Congress on Ground Water here.
Water conservation and management could be better served through appropriate incentives and penalties, Singh said adding "we cannot continue to subsidise the economic and commercial use of water."
"There are related policies that must be corrected to ensure water conservation, especially ground water," he told a gathering which included Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz, water experts and planners.
Observing that human kind has not done enough to replenish, conserve and safeguard the sources of water supply, he said "on the contrary, given the threat of climate change and global warming, we face the real prospect of reduced supply of water."
"This threat is of particular concern to us in India since we have, since times immemorial, depended on glaciers for our water supply in this part of our sub-continent," he said.
Soz said over-exploitation and contamination of ground water in some areas has led to apprehension about its sustainability.
Noting that the challenge of water scarcity could only be addressed in an interdisciplinary, holistic and consensual manner, the Prime Minister regretted that the country has not paid adequate attention to water both as a public and economic good.
Today there is even a greater need to address the challenge of water scarcity with a much greater sense of urgency, he said and asked the Advisory Council on Artificial Recharge of Ground Water to create widespread national awareness and a genuine national consensus on an equitable, efficient and environmentally sustainable water policy.
"Providing free power to farmers has encouraged excessive use of pump sets and excessive drawing of ground water. If there is economic pricing of power, there would be some incentive for conserving ground water," he said inaugurating the National Congress on Ground Water here.
Water conservation and management could be better served through appropriate incentives and penalties, Singh said adding "we cannot continue to subsidise the economic and commercial use of water."
"There are related policies that must be corrected to ensure water conservation, especially ground water," he told a gathering which included Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz, water experts and planners.
Observing that human kind has not done enough to replenish, conserve and safeguard the sources of water supply, he said "on the contrary, given the threat of climate change and global warming, we face the real prospect of reduced supply of water."
"This threat is of particular concern to us in India since we have, since times immemorial, depended on glaciers for our water supply in this part of our sub-continent," he said.
Soz said over-exploitation and contamination of ground water in some areas has led to apprehension about its sustainability.
Noting that the challenge of water scarcity could only be addressed in an interdisciplinary, holistic and consensual manner, the Prime Minister regretted that the country has not paid adequate attention to water both as a public and economic good.
Today there is even a greater need to address the challenge of water scarcity with a much greater sense of urgency, he said and asked the Advisory Council on Artificial Recharge of Ground Water to create widespread national awareness and a genuine national consensus on an equitable, efficient and environmentally sustainable water policy.