"Big transformations": Authors hail water governance reforms spurred by PM Modi
A new study traces India's water governance journey from Gujarat to national missions like Jal Jeevan Mission, highlighting PM Modi's role in big transformations.
A landmark study released at IIM Bangalore has traced the evolution of India's water governance, highlighting how reforms initiated in Gujarat have now transformed the nation's landscape. The research, titled 'From Gujarat to India: Water Lessons for the World', credits the foundation of these changes to the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, beginning during his tenure as the Chief Minister of Gujarat in 2001.
Tracing the roots of water management
The study, published by George Mason University and the Gates Foundation, examines a 25-year journey of managing water scarcity. Parameswaran Iyer, former secretary of the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, noted that the seeds of modern Indian water governance were sown in Gujarat, a state that has historically faced severe climatic water shortages.
“There have been big transformations in water governance in India over the last decade under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. So, we took a step back and said, ‘Let's trace the roots of it,’” Iyer explained. He pointed to several key initiatives from the early 2000s that laid the groundwork for current national success stories:
- River Management: The implementation of the Narmada-based water grid.
- Institutional Frameworks: The creation of bodies like WASMO for drinking water and sanitation, and the Gujarat Groundwater Resource Management Company (GGRC).
- Community Empowerment: A focus on micro-irrigation and empowering local users through decentralized management.
- Technological Integration: Using modern tools to manage scarce resources effectively.
From state reforms to national missions
The researchers observed that many of the localized strategies developed in Gujarat eventually scaled up to become massive national programs. The study highlights how the principles of community-based management and administrative architecture were integrated into flagship central schemes such as:
- Jal Jeevan Mission: Aiming to provide safe drinking water to all.
- Namami Gange: Focused on the rejuvenation of the holy river Ganges.
- Jal Shakti Abhiyan: A campaign for water conservation and security.
Iyer also shared an anecdote regarding the creation of the Ministry of Jal Shakti, noting that the very name of the ministry was coined by Prime Minister Modi himself.
Global lessons from the Indian model
The study suggests that India’s experience offers vital lessons for the rest of the world, particularly for the Global South. Daniel W. Smith, an Assistant Professor at George Mason University and one of the study's authors, emphasized that while hydrology varies by region, the fundamental administrative ingredients remain the same.
"The biggest thing to take away looking at it from a global perspective is to get the priority for water where it should be at the very highest level and then build the public financing and the administrative architecture to carry through on the implementation," Smith stated.
Smith highlighted the sheer scale of India's achievement, noting that the governance model has impacted an almost unimaginable number of people. Over this period, more than 400 million people, particularly in rural areas, have gained access to safely managed drinking water through these systemic shifts.
The researchers concluded that while every country must adapt to its own local culture and water requirements, the Indian approach of setting ambitious goals and building the necessary funding and institutional structures is a blueprint that can be borrowed globally.