Centre releases river water sharing guidelines -Thursday June 27,2013

River water sharing has for long been a contentious issue among various States. 

Now, in an effort to ease matters, the Centre has come out with guidelines for sharing or distribution of waters of inter-state rivers and has invited public comments till July 31,2013

The guidelines come in the backdrop of many States opposing such a move, terming it an infringement of their rights. However, the draft’s “broad objectives” clearly state that any sharing or distribution of river water should be guided by a “national perspective”. It adds that any development of inter-State river water for the betterment of the population of the co-basin States/Union Territories “should not be detrimental to the interests of one another.” 

As regards the right of water use, the draft states that “water is not susceptible to absolute ownership as a specific intangible property,” and adds that “only when withdrawn from its natural state that amount of the water may temporarily become the property during the period of its actual possession/use.” 

On import/export of river water, the draft says that a State may import water from another basin outside its boundary to its territory falling within the inter-state basin under consideration. Also, a State can import water out of its share from one basin to another within its territory. However, it proposes that a separate account be kept of the utilisation of imported water by each State. 

The draft also proposes that a State may export its share of water in a basin to other deficit basin outside the State, but the water thus exported should be accounted towards its share of basin waters.

Also, every scheme of sharing/distribution of water should have a provision for review after a period about 40 years or “as may be agreed by the co-basin States”. 

Among the key rivers in dispute are -

• Yamuna River, a key source of irrigation and urban use in Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi, the 

• Krishna River that caters to the growing demand of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh
• Cauvery river, which has a history of a bitter tussle between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.