Why Karnataka can’t afford to water down action on new water policy

Three-fifths of Karnataka is already drought-prone. As if this reality is not dire enough, the future is more menacing, according to the state’s new Water Policy 2022 which promises measures to tackle the challenges up ahead.

“There is a long-term warming trend and negative trend in rainfall for Karnataka and the area affected by drought will increase,” the policy document warns. “In the Kharif season, most northern districts are projected to have an increase in drought incidences by 10-80%, with some districts projected to have almost a doubling of drought frequency. Floods are becoming common every year due to heavy rainfall which is higher than the long-term average on some days and sometimes 10 to 20 times above the normal,” the policy says.

This is not good news for a state that has suffered 15 drought years over the last two decades, whose groundwater is rapidly depleting and with water demand projected to increase significantly in the years to come.

Policy highlights

As a result, the new Water Policy 2022 which was approved by the Cabinet on Friday, has proposed penalties for unwise use of water, restricting groundwater extraction, incentivising farmers to grow crops that use less water and harvesting flood water among several other measures.

“Everyone talks about water, but nobody talks about an action plan. An action plan has to be rolled out immediately,” Additional Chief Secretary (Water Resources) Rakesh Singh says.

“People of Karnataka shouldn’t forget the larger interest because, in the last 2-3 years, it has rained very well,” he points out. Take groundwater, for example, which forms 26% of all water usage in the state. According to the Water Resources Department, groundwater sources are ‘overexploited’ in 52 taluks across 15 districts.

The situation is ‘critical’ in 10 taluks of eight districts and ‘semi-critical’ in 35 taluks of 17 districts.

“Groundwater is becoming the dominant source for irrigation,” the department has said in its policy note, adding that 56% of the area of irrigation in the state is from groundwater.

“Declining water table and increasing contamination is a major concern.”

‘Restrict extraction’

The policy recommends that groundwater extraction, other than for domestic use, be restricted for commercial use depending on the degree and zone of exploitation.

Also, charging tariffs by metering the use of groundwater by industries and commercial establishments is to be considered, the policy says.

Notably, while agriculture accounts for 84% of water diversions, the demand for water from non-agriculture sectors is “increasing rapidly” and the demand from industry is expected to almost double, according to the policy.

“All these years, there was pressure from irrigation and agriculture. Of late, the focus is on drinking water,” Singh says. “Also now, there’s a competition between agriculture and industry.”

Conservation efforts

Industries will be supported to conserve water, increase water recycling and reduce the discharge of polluted water into the environment, the policy says. Also, incentives will be provided to farmers to take up water-economic crops.

Similarly, a “user charge system” will be implemented effectively through a proper set of incentives and penalties that are affordable for all sections of society, the policy says.

The Water Policy 2022 replaces one that was formulated in 2002. The erstwhile Karnataka Knowledge Commission constituted a task group to make recommendations for a new policy.

Last year, a Cabinet sub-committee was constituted to review the draft policy. “...the state needs to have a new water policy with a shift from increasing the water supply infrastructure to managing water within the available water budget,” the water resources department said in its policy note.

“The policy is more a statement,” Singh says. “Actual work has to happen now on the ground.”