ISLAMABAD, July 12: The federal cabinet has rejected the proposed National Water Policy owing to its apparent clash with the jurisdiction of the Council of Common Interest (CCI). A senior government official told Dawn that the cabinet division had asked the ministry of water and power to address legal and constitutional objections raised by the Planning Commission and Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) and re-submit the policy document.

Many other quarters, the official said, had also voiced concerns over the proposed policy, but deputy chairman of the Planning Commission Dr Akram Sheikh and the PEC had specifically objected to the formation and composition of a National Water Council (NWC).

A summary submitted to the cabinet in May this year had proposed to constitute the water council to take all important decisions relating to the water sector issues and development of resources.

It said the premier should head the council, comprising chief ministers of four provinces, federal ministers for water and power, food and agriculture, finance, environment, law and justice, federal secretaries of a number of ministries, provincial irrigation and agriculture ministers, experts and other stakeholders.

Three major questions were raised on the NWC:

1- What is the need for a new body when forums like the Council of Common Interest (CCI), Indus River System Authority, National Economic Council and Federal Flood Commission were available under the constitution to deal with such issues?

2- What would be the legal status of decisions of the NWC? Who would implement these decisions and if not implemented what would be the result?

3- Whether or not the NWC is a forum superior to the CCI established under the article 153 of the constitution to formulate and regulate policies related to Part-II of the federal legislative list, including water?

The Planning Commission had suggested that instead of reactivating and strengthening the existing legal and constitutional forums, the policy should propose to create a whole tier of bodies at the federal and provincial levels.

The sources said the delay in approval of the policy was already delaying the World Bank’s assistance to Pakistan. The bank has committed about $3 billion assistance for three years, but unless a water policy was not announced, the funding would not be released properly.

The draft National Water Policy had sought setting up of a permanent National Water Council led by the prime minister to take decisions on water related issues and inter-provincial conflicts to ensure sustainable utilization of water resources.

The policy also envisaged comprehensive reorganization of water sector institutions through their mergers. Pakistan is faced with emerging water crises in various forms, including great demand of drinking water and sanitation. The policy would provide national direction for sustainable use of these resources.

The policy envisaged that national water resources planning and development should be undertaken in a holistic, integrated and sustainable manner. The water supplies should be of good quality, equitably distributed. They should meet the requirements of all water users through an efficient management, institutional and legal system that would ensure sustainable utilization of the water resources.

Similar water regulatory commissions were proposed to be set up to take policy and regulatory decisions at provincial level.

The National Water Commission was proposed to be formed through the merger of chief engineering adviser organisation, planning institutions of Wapda and the federal flood organisation.