The former president of Mysore Grahakara Parishat Maj. Gen. S.G. Vombatkere (retd.), whose last posting was Additional Director-General, Discipline and Vigilance in Army headquarters in Delhi, has sought a review of the National Water Policy — 2012 and the Karnataka State Water Policy — 2002 with a holistic approach on water conservation He also suggested ‘de-commodification’ of water.
Making a presentation at the Institution of Engineers here on Tuesday in the wake of growing concerns of the possible water crisis with deficient rains, he stressed upon the need for a water policy that accounted for the situation arising from climate change and the corresponding weak monsoon.
Demand management
Mr. Vombatkere, who holds an Masters degree in structural engineering, argued that NWP-2012 and KSWP-2002 were both demand-driven and laid no emphasis on demand management. They needed to be reviewed urgently, he said, and added that the industry was drawing water meant for rural and urban populations. Administrative and political will was necessary to modify defective policies, he said, and added that engineers played a major role in influencing politicians for water and food security of rural and urban populations. There is a need to put people and agriculture before industry when it comes to water, he argued.
He said the climate change was turning perennial rivers like the Cauvery into seasonal ones and causing excessive rains like in Kodagu and Kerala last year.
Calling the move to bring water from Linganamakki reservoir to Bengaluru a result of ‘wrong policy’, he said long distance water transfer was unviable. Moreover, consent of locals was vital. Also, a station needed to be set up to pump water from a distance of 400 km. He said that interlinking of rivers was no solution to the water crisis and maintained that no State will agree to share its water.
Integrated water resource management can address the country’s water crisis, he said, adding that water resource conservation should move from policy to legislation.
Fossil water
Expressing concern over groundwater exploitation, Mr. Vombatkere said it had reached a stage where the increasing demand for water had led to drawing fossil waters indicating digging deep into the earth. People were now digging upto a depth of 2,000 feet to pump fossil waters that have accrued thousands of years ago. This was unsafe as it may cause sink holes and tectonic shifts.
M. Lakshman of Association of Concerned and Informed Citizens of Mysuru and former chairman of Institution of Engineers, Mysuru, gave an overview on the water situation in the Cauvery basin with details on the live storage in the dams.
After the presentation, the forum was opened for discussion on the steps to be taken by the government in case the rains continued to play truant. Retired engineers and members of the IEI attended and shared their views.
