New Delhi, November 8
To provide safeguards against hazards of overexploitation and tighten the noose around the multi-million crore bottled water and soft drink industry in the country, the Centre is now planning a clear-cut policy on the ownership of groundwater and its pricing in the country.
Ecologically and culturally, water is priceless and is being used for centuries for domestic, agriculture and personal and social needs. However, it the large-scale commercialisation of groundwater by bottled water and soft drink manufacturers that the government is now getting worried about.
With the water now being sold, it feels that it is now time to discuss the rightful ownership of groundwater and devise a methodology of putting a price on it as well. While surface water is a state subject, there is also serious thinking on whether groundwater should be allowed to be a state or a Centre-controlled subject.
As of now, no Act or law exists to govern the use or misuse of the priceless groundwater in the country, but some state governments have their seperate laws aimed at providing safeguards against the hazards of over-exploitaion of groundwater.
The Central Underground Water Authority also deals with groundwater-related issues and sends reminders to states to take timely action. But in the absence of proper Act, law or guidelines for companies selling bottled water and soft drinks, it is free-for all.
Whether it is for agriculture or industry use, groundwater is largely being extacted without any permission from the c,entral or state governments or paying a price for it. It is not surprsing, therefore, that water tables have been seeing an alarming dip in most parts and as many as 317 districts in the country are suffering from dangerously low level of groundwater.
Moreover, the commercialisation of water is a big issue. At present the current turnover of the mineral water industry is stated to be a couple of thousand crore, which the industry hopes to increase to Rs 5,000 crore by 2010. Meaning, there are plans to expand industry and operations in the future and put more burden on water resources of the country.
Likewise, the soft drink industry, which is known to extract lakhs of litres of water from the ground everyday, in many case does not even bothering to re-charge as promised before setting up the plants.
