Lok Sabha passes Bill for adjudication of river water row

NEW DELHI: A Bill to streamline the adjudication of inter-state river water disputes and make the present legal and institutional architecture robust was on Wednesday passed in the Lok Sabha by voice vote.

Moving the Inter-state River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2019, Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said the draft legislation proposed to introduce a mechanism to resolve the water disputes amicably by negotiations through a Disputes Resolution Committee (DRC).

He said the DRC would be established by the Centre consisting of experts from relevant fields before the water dispute was referred to the Tribunal.

In his concluding remarks, the Minister said as only 4 per cent water can be replenished to meet the demand, it was a very important issue and this was the need of the time to think about water management because of increasing danger of climate change.

“We should think on both demand as well as supply, otherwise a time will come when we will have to work on this issue with compulsion.” The Minister said the Bill seeks amendment to the Inter-state River Water Disputes Act, 1956 considering the increase in demand for water by the states and that inter-state river water disputes were on the rise.

Over 20 members from treasury benches and opposition raised their concerns about the Bill and proposed suggestions.

BJP’S Varun Gandhi said the country would be a loser if one looked at water from a territorial perspective and stressed on the need to look water from a national perspective.

Midhun Reddy of YSR Congress said river water disputes should be solved within six months and voiced support to the Bill.