Authors of study on India's water governance suggest learning "lessons from Gujarat" on Maharashtra's drought situation
Experts suggest Maharashtra can tackle its drought crisis by adopting Gujarat's water governance models, including river basin and wastewater management.
Experts are suggesting that Maharashtra could find a way out of its recurring drought crisis by adopting successful water governance strategies pioneered in Gujarat.
A new study launched at IIM Bangalore has highlighted how the 25-year water governance journey in Gujarat offers vital lessons for other water-scarce states. The research, authored by Parameswaran Iyer, Daniel W Smith, and Nitin Bassi, traces the evolution of water management that began in 2001 under the then Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi.
The Gujarat Model: A Blueprint for Success?
Parameswaran Iyer, the former secretary of the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation in the Indian government, believes that the measures implemented in Gujarat can be effectively applied to the Maharashtra context. He pointed to the Narmada-based water grid and institutions like WASMO as key components of the state's success.
Key pillars of the suggested approach include:
- Water Conservation: Implementing critical measures at the local level to preserve existing resources.
- River Basin Management: Managing large-scale water resources, similar to the Narmada model.
- Wastewater Management: Treating and reusing wastewater as a secondary, valuable resource.
- Agricultural Shifts: Addressing the fact that 85 to 90 per cent of water is consumed by agriculture, which requires managing water-intensive crops and ensuring farmers have the economic incentive to change their behavior.
"Many of the measures in Gujarat... would easily be applied, obviously contextualised to the Maharashtra situation," Iyer stated, noting that a combination of short, medium, and long-term strategies must be addressed simultaneously.
Maharashtra's Current Crisis
The urgency of these suggestions is underscored by the dire situation currently unfolding in Maharashtra. Drought has been officially declared in more than 265 talukas across the state, prompting the government to announce relief measures.
In response to the escalating crisis, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis recently met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi. During the meeting, Fadnavis briefed the Home Minister on the measures being taken by the state government and requested maximum assistance under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).
Urban Challenges and River Cleaning
While the focus remains on rural drought, the study and its authors also touched upon the complexities of urban water management. Nitin Bassi, a fellow at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), addressed the difficulties of cleaning rivers like the Yamuna in Delhi.
Bassi noted that cleaning rivers passing through rapidly growing urban areas is an incredibly time-consuming process. He explained that as cities expand, sewage treatment infrastructure must grow at a similar pace to prevent pollution, citing the massive Okhla treatment plant in Delhi as an example of the ongoing efforts required to manage urban waste.