New Delhi: Vice-President Hamid Ansari
on Wednesday batted for water pricing for different users and
supported the idea of penalising those who pollute the
country`s water resources.
"If nations and people ration the use of water for
industrial purposes or change the pricing for such use, there
would be significant changes in business environment," Ansari
said.
The Vice-President also quoted from the action points
mooted in the National Water Mission which include creation of
a "system of penalties for polluting surface and ground water
resources".
He was delivering the inaugural address at the `India
Water Forum 2011` here.
Ansari said "water stress" and scarcity would have a
significant impact on the prospects of Indian companies
operating in various sectors.
"Regulators, investors and citizens alike must demand
corporate water disclosure, including plans and policies for
water consumption, use and disposal and whether environmental
concerns have been addressed," he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Water Resources Minister
Salman Khurshid said a fresh law could give the Centre a
"larger area" of inter-state management of water resources.
He said under the present system, the Centre`s role
was limited to conflict management between various states.
The minister said "intra-state transmission" could
help water scarce areas get their due from areas which have
water to spare.
But at the same time, he admitted that the plan was
facing difficulty as areas with water to spare do not
acknowledge this perhaps with the fear of having to share it
with others.
He also suggested that states should go for crops
which require less water.
Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah
lamented that there was no accountability for water wastage in
the country.
Saving water should become a habit for all
individuals, he said while expressing the hope that renewable
energy could make a difference in the near future to help
implement water saving schemes.
PTI
