At present, DJB tankers provide water in Delhi slums. The problem of water shortage in city slums could find an answer in ‘pay-and-use’ water ATMs scheme, which the Delhi government is studying at present. According to the proposal (Newsline has a copy), the water will be filtered at a centrally located plant through reverse osmosis, and supplied to a network of decentralised, “off-grid” and solar-powered ATMs that will be located in areas with low water supply.

An integrated approach to supply and demand side water management is the best response to water stress and climate change, experts from Australia and India pointed out at a panel discussion here on Wednesday.

With the success story of integrated approach in the Murray-Darling basin, the Australian experience in water management is seen as a natural area of collaboration with India.

Besides emphasising on efficiency of water use and ecological needs of rivers, for the first time policy makers have proposed that precious natural resources be considered an “economic good” over and above pre-emptive need. So, while the draft National Water Policy, 2012, talks of water conservation, it also proposes promoting maximisation of value of water, setting up of a regulatory authority to take care of inter-state disputes and adequate water pricing to incentivise recycle and reuse.

BHUBANESWAR: With public resistance mounting over sharing of river water with industries, the State Government is making a move towards a water conservation fund by levying one time water charge on thermal power plants coming up in the State. The Water Resource Department has reportedly proposed to impose one-time water charge on thermal power projects. The funds thus generated will be exclusively utilised for water conservation works. The department proposed to levy Rs 2.5 cr per cusec of water. On an average, the water requirement of a 1000 MW coal based power plant is 40 cusecs.