Big dams are not the solution of acute water crisis but we need small dams , check dams. furthermore ground water is like a cash deposit You can take the interest but you cannot touch the principal amount without depleting it.
The era of big dams is over. We must have small dams, recharge ground water, harvest rain water’
Union Minister for Water Resources Saifuddin Soz holds a very important charge, and his ministry is trying to tackle the problem of depleting ground water with a Central legislation. In an interaction with Express staff moderated by Senior Editor Sonu Jain, he talks about the plan to link important rivers, flood management, agriculture and food security, and the problems of his native Kashmir Saifuddin Soz at the EXPRESS
SAIFUDDIN SOZ: I would like to enumerate the major areas of concern regarding water resources. A few areas are in sharp focus. One is ground water — it is like a cash deposit. You can take the interest but you cannot touch the principal amount without depleting it. The PM takes considerable interest in water issues and there is an advisory council now that meets every year. We also have a Ground Water Congress. Last year at the Congress, we gave away many awards, especially to NGOs. We realise those people have been doing very good work.
The next area is irrigation. We must increase the potential of irrigation as it is the key to agricultural development. Lots of money is being pumped into irrigation. For instance, the allocation for the 11th Plan is more than double the money that was available for irrigation in the 10th Plan. But personally speaking, I’m still not satisfied because in the 6th Plan perspective. We achieved a miracle — 12.5 per cent of the GDP went to irrigation. Thereafter, the investment in irrigation has been dwindling. Then there is the question of interlinking of rivers. There was some propaganda, last year, that we put this matter on the back burner. That is not the fact: the states have to take decisions regarding this. I have taken considerable interest and there are signs that some states will agree.
We have selected some rivers for conservation. We call them ‘national projects’. It has been a story of terrible neglect. Take the Yamuna: for 30 years a great deal of funding has been wasted — it is still polluted, its hydraulic potential has not been realised, its drinking water is not worth drinking and irrigation lags behind. I would reiterate: water is very important. But in general, people think it is important only when they feel thirsty. It is the key to agricultural development. Climate change is another concern of mine. The National Institute of Hydrology is studying glaciers in Gangotri and Zanzar. In July we shall have the first report.
Then there is the issue of water pricing. I instituted a committee that gave a good report. We plan to go ahead with it. We shall ensure proper pricing concessions go to civil society but industry must pay. It should share its profits. As for flood management, I believe we shouldn’t wait for the monsoons. The monsoons come and troubles follows. At that stage, my ministry cannot do anything. I believe that between monsoons we must build embankments.
Lastly, we must look at dams. I think that the era of big dams is over. We should have small dams and try and do something on rain water harvesting and recharging ground water. We have circulated a model Water Bill which has been accepted by many states except Punjab, where there is lots of politics and they don’t accept that their water table has decreased substantially.
•RAVISH TIWARI: Are you dissatisfied with the budgetary allocation for water?
I am very grateful to the PM, who has a keen interest in water. The 10th Plan funding was Rs 100,150 crore. In the 11th Plan it is Rs 2,33000 crore. But I want more support — irrigation should be accepted as the key to agriculture development, as a key to India’s food needs. In the 6th Plan 12.5 per cent of the budget went to irrigation. During that period, your GDP grew by 5.3 per cent and agriculture growth was at 5.9 per cent. Today GDP is at 9 per cent and agriculture growth rate is a little less than 2 per cent. We need agriculture to grow at a much better rate — maybe 6 per cent — because we can no longer imagine that others will produce our food for us. By 2040 you will require more than 400 million tonnes of food for a population of 1.60 billion people. India’s food security rests purely on agriculture development and that rests squarely on irrigation.
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