Conservationist against water Management Bill

Conservationist against water Management Bill
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

AURANGABAD, JULY 21: Farmers and water conservationist from Marathwada have strongly come out against the proposed Water Management Bill scheduled to be taken up in the monsoon session of the State Assembly.

At the discussion organised by an non-governmental organisation (NGO), Janarth, panelists opined that sections of the proposed bill, were not only anti-farmers but also had the potential to hold them to ransom.

More than solving any of the existing problems, the Bill may in return create new ones, said panelist Vijayanna Borade (water conservatist) Pravin Mahajan (Janarth) and Sarjerao Thombre, State Planning Commission member.

With it emphasis on bringing into control every borewell, the chief source of water in rural areas, even while letting water waste by industrial plants go unchecked, the proposed bill creates a new tension between the urban and rural areas, the panelists said.

The participants also said it was not possible to know what kind of depths the bill envisaged when it states that water sources below the water-table should not be tapped.