Nationalizing water resources - Pros & Cons!
Water, the elixir of life, an immediate must for every living being, unfortunately comes under crisis too. Scarcity of water creates havoc in the rural districts of many states every summer. Excessive rain in the next season brings with it yet another trouble of flooding many regions along the river beds. Pressure from grieving families of these regions creates the debate over shared water resources.
The nationalization of water resources is an old issue that has never been sorted. Some are of the view that nationalizing water resources would bring an end to the grievances of water sharing between states but others believe that the problem has become more political than socio-economic. The optimal usage of available water is also an issue we tend to ignore.
However, a common authority to take care of water distribution to the entire country could solve the problem to a great extent as citied by some. Just like the national grids for electricity, water too could be nationalized to solve the crisis of water in the dry seasons. The optimal distribution of water could be a savior in favor of the draught hit districts.
Pros:1. Optimal distribution: Urban areas of the same state, of which the rural districts are charred in the absence of water, face absolutely no scarcity of water. Their lives continue normally with abundant water supply to keep them satiated. Nothing changes in these big cities. While the neighboring districts fight and die for water, life flows normally in the cities where people are totally unaware of water crisis until they are asked to refrain from playing with water on Holi. Optimal distribution of water will ensure that all the places get the same amount of water during the scarcity seasons.
2. Political issues: Politics of different states poses a big hindrance in the water distribution system. Political pomposity makes it difficult to reach upon a proper conclusion in times of crisis. If water distribution and management comes under the judiciary of the central government, it would become easier for the government to take a proper decision without political influences from states. Most of the times the issues get ridiculed just because it was initiated by someone from a certain political party.
3. Irrigation will see new dawn: Scarcity of water for irrigation, hotter summer days, late arrival of monsoon, and the plight of Indian farmers – these ever existing issues could only be addressed if water resources are nationalized. Centre could pay more heed to the rural areas and make provisions to meet the need of irrigation water in these areas. There has been no actual progress in helping the farmers meet the scarcity of water because state politics were all too busy in the blame game.
4. Legal merits: Water that runs under soil, cross states are meant to be natural resource which is to be managed by experts who are well informed in taking care of the issues. However, it is in the hands of meritless people and these poses many problems that go unchecked. On the legal merits too, water resources can be nationalized. Only those who are apt enough to handle the various issues must be given the right to have authority over it.
5. The best possible way to prevent famine: Our federalism is under the threat of depletion. With politics taking the toll over social matters, it is not long when the families of farmers who grow food for us will be under the spell of famine. Only the centre government can take authority and prevent hydro-politics from running the very base of our country’s development – agriculture.
Cons:1. Water mafias: Controversial as the term might sound, water mafias do exist in big cities and flourish under the influence and help of politics. Centralizing of water resources might just not solve the issue but give rise to more scams. Effective management of water distribution and resource can only happen when there is pressure from the government over water distribution authorities to keep vigilance over wastage and other factors. Centre works better as the monitor than the manager in these issues. It is best to let the states take care of their water distribution.
2. Awareness: Just by centralizing water resources, the crisis of water deficiency could not be solved. Increasing population and shifting to cities is creating a barrier that could be not be fulfilled simply by laying out everything at the hands of the government to solve the issues. People need to be made aware of the deficiency and prevent wastage of water. Leakage of pipeline is another issue that goes unchecked in many regions. Spreading awareness to prevent water wastage is the issue that needs to be brought into light.
3. Allocation will be a problem: Every state will have its own demands of more and more water supply. It will become difficult for the centre to divert water resources from one state towards the other. It could make dirt and debris to flow towards other sources that could create stifle between nations. Diversion and more divisions is not something we are ready or shall ever be ready to face. It is better to let the states take care of their own water resources with somewhat an intervention from the centre to help them decide.
4. An autonomous body instead: What is the government expected to do but allocate positions to the people it favors? There will be no solution and more corruption. Instead, water management and distribution should be left upon an autonomous body that could regulate the matter well. It should consist to experts in the technology of water resource management and have authority over the water resources of the entire nation.
As long as issues get a political mould to reach out of people, they could never be addressed in the right way. If people are aware enough, they should do what they can to prevent wastage of water and spread awareness in their surrounding too.
Nationalizing of water resources could be a good solution for India in its flight against global warming, late monsoon plights of farmers, deficit of water in outskirts of big cities, etc. However, government must create a special body to hear and decide upon the issue rather than allocating special positions to favorable people. It is an absolute necessity that nationalization of water resources come along with proper terms as this one.
