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Prof. Rasa Singh Rawat,
MP, Ajmer Lok Sabha constituency, Rajasthan |
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Tell us about the water crisis in Ajmer.
Ajmer is situated in the midst of the Rajasthan. Earlier, during my childhood, it received rainfall from the monsoon winds coming from the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal. Due to deforestation, the amount of water in the soil and groundwater has got affected and as a result, Ajmer has become a draught zone like Mewar and Marwad. With little rainfall, ponds have dried up too.
In the past, we had traditional rehat and charas for extracting ground water, which did not affect the water table adversely. However, hand pumps and new technological methods of withdrawal via tube wells have proved disastrous. The ground water level has depleted. It has created drinking water crisis in Ajmer. Today, Ajmer gets water once in forty-eight hours from Bisalpur dam in Tonk district.
Also, we have little water for irrigation. Good rainfall ensures agricultural output else farming remains a low-key affair and farmers migrate to cities to work as laborers. Good rainfall fills the dam otherwise even Pushkar pond becomes dry. We felt water from Chambal could be transported to Ajmer but that has remained an unfulfilled dream.
Water in Ajmer has high fluoride content which is not suitable for drinking. With no other option, villagers consume this water and this has damaged their spinal cords. Rajasthan government, therefore, has decided to extend supply of Bisalpur dam water to Ajmer villages.
If water is supplied once in forty-eight hours, how do residents of Ajmer survive?
People have learnt to store water to meet their needs. Earlier we had cement pipelines, which are not durable. Steel pipelines under the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission are now replacing the cement pipelines.
You stated that water from Chambal could be transported to Ajmer. In this regard, what is your opinion on interlinking of rivers?
It was originally a plan of the ex-agriculture minister KR Krishna Rao to link the Ganga with the Cauvery (Kaveri) bringing water from the rivers in the north to southern India. However, it has remained a dream. Atal Bihari Vajpayee in his tenure as the Prime Minister proposed that it was ideal to utilize the water of rivers in the north, which was often washed off during floods. He formed a committee of group of ministers. There was a plan for linking Chambal river of Rajasthan with Kali river in Madhya Pradesh. However, the change in the government slowed up the process. Like the construction of national highways, we could have developed river linkages across the country.
Punjab is often reluctant to give water to Rajasthan. India's water flows down to Pakistan. If some of this water is diverted to Rajasthan, situation can improve a lot.
The 2002 National Water Policy should be amended to declare water as a national property and central government should acquire some of the rights.
What specific changes do you propose in the 2002 National Water Policy?
The 2002 National Water Policy gives various water related rights to the State as they have the authority on agriculture and irrigation in their local State. In its place, a water policy should be formulated from a national perspective. Today, interstate river disputes are common in case of rivers like Cauvery and Satluj. Water conservation is not being well advocated, which requires a national focus.
You advocate of taking away the Irrigation and Agriculture rights from the States. However, these are the constitutional rights conferred on the States under the State list of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution. Also, we are moving towards cooperative federalism. State governments are demanding maximum rights from the center. In this context, taking away rights of the States will violate the spirit of the cooperative federalism.
We should bring agriculture and irrigation under concurrent list to give certain rights to the center. Today, the central government tries to resolve the interstate river disputes through committees and approaching the Supreme Court later, which often delays the process.
Certain constitutional powers in the hand of the center will help in resolving the interstate disputes. The use of national resources in national interest will surely benefit the entire nation.
Aerated drink companies are extracting thousands of liters of ground water. There is no check on them. What are state governments and your party members doing on this issue?
You are right. This excessive extraction of ground water should be stopped.
We need strict laws. What is your party doing?
The governments are in the process of making laws. Not only my party but also the Central and other State governments are concerned about it.
What is your take on involvement of the private sector in water related issues?
Big industries, which consume large quantities of water and also discharge waste water, should construct water treatment plants at their site. They can provide clean drinking water to the neighboring areas at reasonable costs. After all, government too provides water for drinking and irrigation at certain charges.
Involvement of the private sector can be quite useful for flood management, water treatment, afforestation and environmental conservation. The 2002 National Water Policy also encourages private participation.
BJP projects itself as a party advocating the concept of Swadeshi and you are proposing privatization?
I do not support entry of foreign companies in this sector. Indian companies should take ownership. If a company comes forward with resources to invest in water, we should welcome it.
What is the level of water awareness in you constituency?
Our government has initiated a Jal Chetana Yatra to spread awareness on the issue. We have visited villages and staged street plays to make people aware of the need of water conservation and reducing water logging. Government has stressed on water harvesting mechanisms on rooftops of newly constructed houses and schools. Tank construction is encouraged near houses and schools to ensure rainwater does not run off and is stored well. Wells and ponds are cleaned to avoid silt deposition.
How much of your MPLADS funds have been spent on water related schemes?
I have spent around 15-20% of the funds for various programs including constructing hand pumps, laying pipelines and cleaning the ponds.
Interview by: Ashutosh Bharadwaj, IndianNGOs.com
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