INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING (HU 522)

NATIONAL POLICIES

SUBMITTED TO – SUBMITTED BY –
RIYA VARSHNEY
PROF. NEHA PRANAV KOHLE
192109206
M.PLAN
(HOUSING)
NATIONAL WATER POLICY
 Government plans to come out with an updated version of National Water Policy with
key changes in governance structures and regulatory framework. Plans are also to set up
a National Bureau of Water Use Efficiency.
 Building consensus among the states within the constitutional framework is the pre-
condition for making this changes. National Water policy was formulated to govern the
planning and development of water resources and their optimum utilization. The first
National Water Policy was adopted in 1987, it was reviewed and updated in 2002 and
later in 2012.
NATIONAL WATER POLICY 2012

The salient features of national water policy (2012) are as follows:

i. Emphasis on the need for a national water framework law, comprehensive legislation
for optimum development of inter-State rivers and river valleys.
ii. Water, after meeting the pre-emptive needs for safe drinking water and sanitation,
achieving food security, supporting poor people dependent on agriculture for their
livelihood and high priority allocation for minimum eco-system needs, be treated as
economic good so as to promote its conservation and efficient use.
iii. Water Users Associations should be given statutory powers to collect and retain a
portion of water charges, manage the volumetric quantum of water allotted to them
and maintain the distribution system in their jurisdiction.
iv. Incentivization of recycle and re-use has been recommended.
v. Removal of large disparity in stipulations for water supply in urban areas and in rural
areas has been recommended.
vi. Water resources projects and services should be managed with community
participation. Wherever the State Governments or local governing bodies so decide, the
private sector can be encouraged to become a service provider in public private
partnership model to meet agreed terms of service delivery, including penalties for
failure.
vii. Adequate grants to the States to update technology, design practices, planning and
management practices, preparation of annual water balances and accounts for the site
and basin, preparation of hydrologic balances for water systems, and benchmarking and
performance evaluation etc.
ix. Ecological needs of the river should be determined recognizing that river flows are
characterized by low or no flows, small floods (freshets), large floods and flow variability
and should accommodate development needs. A portion of river flows should be kept
aside to meet ecological needs ensuring that the proportional low and high flow
releases correspond in time closely to the natural flow regime.
TIMELINE FOR NATIONAL WATER POLICY

National development council had observed that national water plans need to be prepared
1982
●

keeping in view the national perspective as well as state and regional and regional needs

National water resources council(NWRC) was setup with the prime minister as its chairman,
1983
●

several union ministers and the chief / administrators of all states/Uts as members

1987 ●
Adoption of first national water policy

1990 National water board(NWB) was constituted with secretary, MoWR as Chairman, Chief secretaries of all states, Secretaries of
●

related Union Ministries and chairman, CWC as members to review the progress achieved in implementation of the NWP

2002 ●
NWP was reviewed and updated

2012 State governments, Civil society and various stakeholder have been involved while drafting the revised NWP
●

●
NWP-2012 was considered by NWB and was later adopted by NWRC
WHY IS THERE A NEED OF UPDATED NATIONAL WATER POLICY?

i. There are lots of changes that are required in the policy.

ii. Privatization of water usage should be defined.
iii. Agriculture was there but not included in the policy parameters.
iv. River revitalization is required to be revised.
v. Technological innovation is required with the sensors, GIS and satellite imagery.
vi. Need to modulate the water by having a good picture of its path and quantity.
vii. Need to go back from basin to sub-basin to watershed and down into village water
budgeting level.
viii. Policy does not deter use among those who can afford to pay for water.
ix. Policy does not follow polluter pay principle, rather it gives incentives for effluent
treatment.
x. Policy is criticized for terming water as an economic good.
xi. It does not focus on water pollution
CAUSES OF WATER SCARCITY

OVERUSE OF GEOGRAPHICAL POLLUTION OF CONFLICT

WATER DISTRIBUTION WATER

DISTANCE DROUGHT CLIMATE CHNAGE

INDIA’S WATER CRISIS

i. Delay in monsoon and change in pattern.
ii. Management of both supply side and demand side of water.
iii. Unprecedented heat waves, which can become more persistent with climate change.
iv. Less pre monsoon rain.
v. Water levels in India’s major reservoirs have fallen to 21 per cent of the average of the
last decade.
vi. Fifty four per cent of the country’s groundwater is declining faster than it is being
replenished.
vii. There is a crippling dependence on monsoon rains to replenish most of India’s key
water sources– underground aquifers, lakes, rivers and reservoirs.
viii. Close to half the country, about 600 million people, face severe scarcity year after year.
ix. A Niti Ayog report forecasts water demand will be twice the present supply and India
could lose up to 6 per cent of its GDP.
x. India’s water table is falling in most parts; there is fluoride, arsenic, mercury, even
uranium in our groundwater.
xi. The groundwater and sand extraction from most river beds and basins has turned
unsustainable.
xii. Tanks and ponds are encroached upon.
xiii. Dug-wells and bore wells are constructed with alarming impunity to slide deeper and
deeper to suck water from greater depths.
xiv. Water is being diverted from food-crops to cash-crops; livelihoods to lifestyles; rural to
urban— mismanagement is a bigger reason for the drought.
xv. Water shortages are hurting India’s ability to produce power and 40% thermal power
plants are in areas facing high water stress, a recent World Resources Institute report
says.
xvi. Not only farmers, urban dwellers in cities and towns across India are also staring at a
never seen before drinking water scarcity.
FACTS

  India initiated its first water policy in 1987 and now has to look back at the nitty-gritties
of earlier policies, find strong points and loopholes to work accordingly on the new
policy.
 The new policy framework should be based on the recommendations of NITI
Aayog’s Composite Water Management Index 2.0, 2018 which are very realistic and
alarming at the same time.
 We need to redefine, rethink and recalibrate what we mean by Integrated Water
Resource Management.
 The aspects of basin and sub basin planning has to be looked into for setting up realistic
targets.
 Emphasis needs to be shifted towards participatory groundwater management to
ensure sustainability and quality of water.
 The quantum of water is not less in this country but management of water is
required. So next agenda should be managing water properly.
 Sustainability and resilience should be the key words in the management of problems
like water shortage or excessive water availability.
 Another important aspect can be interlinking rivers to transfer water from surplus
basins to deficient basins to balance out the water availability.
 WAY FORWARD

i. Hydrological boundaries, rather than administrative or political boundaries, should be

part of the water governance structure in the country.
ii. Building consensus among the States within the Constitutional framework is a pre-
condition for making the changes.
iii. Water conservation, along with water harvesting and judicious and multiple use of
water, are key to tackling the water challenges that India faces.
iv. Rejuvenation and revitalization of traditional water bodies and resources through the
age-old conservation methods.
v. Need for disseminating modern water technologies in an extensive fashion.
vi. Relook basin and sub-basin planning.
vii. Water policy should take in all recommendations and warning given by NITI Aayog.
viii. Batting for policy changes for giving incentive to crops using less water.
ix. Participatory groundwater management should be promoted in a big way to maintain
quality and sustainability.
NOTE
• First state to have water policy: Meghalaya; to address water issues, conservation, and
protection of water sources in the state.
• Water is a State subject
• Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) aims to ensure availability and sustainable
management of water for all by 2030. By definition, this means leaving no one behind.
• ‘Composite Water Management Index’:
i. This index is an attempt to budge States and UTs towards efficient and optimal
utilization of water and recycling thereof with a sense of urgency. The Index and this
associated report are expected to:
ii. Establish a clear baseline and benchmark for state-level performance on key water
indicators
iii. Uncover and explain how states have progressed on water issues over time, including
identifying high-performers and under-performers, thereby inculcating a culture of
constructive competition among states
iv. Identify areas for deeper engagement and investment on the part of the states.
v. The Composite Water Management Index (CWMI) is a major step towards creating a
culture of data based decision-making for water in India, which can encourage
‘competitive and cooperative federalism’ in the country’s water governance and
management.
COMPARISON OF PROVISIONS OF NATIONAL WATER POLICIES OF 1987, 2002 AND 2012
Sl. Sector National National National Water Policy (2012)
No. Description Water Policy Water Policy
(1987) (2002)

1. Perspective National National Integrated perspective considering

for Water perspectives perspectives local, regional, State and national
Resources context
Planning

2. Information Standardized Standardized All water related data, should be

System national national integrated with well-defined
information information procedures and formats to ensure
system system online updation and transfer of data
to facilitate development of
database for informed decision
making in the management of water

3. Water Hydrological Hydrological Integrated Water Resources

Resources unit such as unit such as Management taking river basin /
Planning a drainage a drainage sub-basin as a unit, should be the
basin as a basin as a main principle for planning,
whole, or a whole, or a development and management of
sub-basin sub-basin water resources
4. Project Water resource Water resource All water resources projects,
Planning development development including hydro power
projects should projects should projects, should be planned to
as far as as far as the extent feasible as multi-
possible be possible be purpose projects with
planned and planned and provision of storage to derive
developed as developed as maximum benefit from
multipurpose multipurpose available topology and water
projects projects resources
5. Environme No specific Minimum flow A portion of river flows should
ntal Flow in mention except should be be kept aside to meet
Rivers providing for the ensured in the ecological needs ensuring that
preservation of perennial the proportional low and high
the quality of streams for flow releases correspond in
environment maintaining time closely to the natural
and the ecology and flow regime
ecological social
balance considerations
6. Ground- Exploitation of Exploitation of Declining ground water levels
water ground water ground water in over-exploited areas need to
developmen resources resources be arrested by introducing
t should be so should be so improved technologies of
regulated as regulated as water use, incentivizing
not to exceed not to exceed efficient water use and
the recharging the recharging encouraging community based
possibilities, as possibilities, as management of aquifers
also to ensure also to ensure
social equity social equity
7. Access to Adequate Adequate safe Minimum quantity of potable
safe drinking drinking water drinking water water for essential health and
Water facilities should facilities hygiene to all its citizens,
be provided to should be available within easy reach of
the entire provided to the household, must be
population the entire ensured
both in urban population
and in rural both in urban
areas by 1991 and in rural
areas
8. Inter-basin Water should Water should Inter-basin transfers are not merely
transfer be made be made for increasing production but also
available to available to for meeting basic human need and
water short water short achieving equity and social justice.
areas by areas by Inter-basin transfers of water should
transfer from transfer from be considered on the basis of merits
other areas other areas of each case after evaluating the
including including environmental, economic and social
transfers from transfers impacts of such transfers
one river from one
basin to river basin to
another, another,
based on a based on a
national national
perspective, perspective,
after taking after taking
into account into account
the the
requirements requirements
of the of the areas /
areas/basins basins
9. Water Use The efficiency of Efficiency of The “project” and the
Efficiency utilisation in all the utilisation in all the “basin” water use
diverse uses of diverse uses of efficiencies need to be
water should be water should be improved through
improved and an optimised and an continuous water
awareness of water awareness of water balance and water
as a scarce resource as a scarce resource accounting studies. An
should be fostered should be fostered institutional
arrangement for
promotion, regulation
and evolving
mechanisms for
efficient use of water at
basin/sub-basin level
will be established for
this purpose at the
national level
10. Flood Emphasis on non- Emphasis on non- While every effort
management structural structural should be made to avert
measures, such as measures, such as water related disasters
flood forecasting flood forecasting like floods and droughts,
and warning and and warning, through structural and
flood plain zoning, flood plain zoning non-structural
so as to reduce and flood measures, emphasis
the recurring proofing, so as to should be on
expenditure on reduce the preparedness for flood /
flood relief recurring drought with coping
expenditure on mechanisms as an
flood relief option. Greater
emphasis should be
placed on rehabilitation
of natural drainage
system
11. Gap Concerted Concerted All components of water
between efforts, such as efforts should resources projects should be
Irrigation command area be made to planned and executed in a pari-
Potential development, ensure that passu manner so that intended
created and should be the irrigation benefits start accruing
utilized made to ensure potential immediately and there is no
that the created is fully gap between potential created
irrigation utilised. For and potential utilized
potential this purpose,
created is fully the command
utilised and the area
gap between development
the potential approach
created and its should be
utilisation is adopted in all
removed irrigation
projects
12. Institutional Appropriate Appropriate There is a need for
Mechanism organizations river basin comprehensive legislation
should be organizations for optimum development
established for should be of inter-State rivers and
the planned established for river valleys and to enable
development the planned establishment of basin
and development authorities with
management and appropriate powers to
of a river basin management plan, manage and regulate
as a whole. of a river basin utilization of water
as a whole or resource in the basins.
sub-basins,
wherever
necessary.
13. Water Drinking water Drinking water Safe drinking water and
Allocation accorded accorded sanitation defined as pre-
Priorities highest priority highest priority emptive needs followed by
followed by followed by high priority allocation for
irrigation, irrigation, other domestic needs
hydro-power, hydro-power, (including needs of animals),
navigation, ecology, achieving food security,
industries, etc. navigation, supporting sustenance
industries, etc. agriculture and minimum
eco-system needs.
14. Water Water rates Water charges Water Regulatory Authority
Pricing should be should cover at should be set up to fix water
adequate to least the tariffs with provision of
cover the operation and differential pricing for the
annual maintenance pre-emptive and high priority
maintenance charges of uses of water.
and operation providing the
charges and a service initially
part of the and a part of
fixed costs. the capital
costs
subsequently.
15. Participatory Efforts should Water Users’ Community based
Water be made to Associations and water management
Management involve farmers the local bodies should be
progressively in should be institutionalized and
various aspects involved in the strengthened.
of management operation,
of irrigation maintenance and Water Users
systems, management of Associations should be
particularly in water given statutory powers
water infrastructures / to collect and retain a
distribution and facilities at portion of water
collection of appropriate charges, manage the
water rates. levels volumetric quantum of
progressively, water allotted to them
with a view to and maintain the
eventually distribution system in
transfer the their jurisdiction
management of
such facilities to
the user groups /
local bodies.
NATIONAL SANITATION POLICY
WHAT IS SANITATION?

Sanitation is the process of providing services and facilities which safely dispose of human
waste and maintain public hygiene. This includes using clean and safe toilets, keeping water
sources clean and disposing of garbage safely. Sanitation is a global issue which affects the
health and well-being of the population, food production and the environment.
• The nationwide sanitation movement of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan has been successful in
not just eradicating open defecation from numerous towns and villages across India, but
is also creating a national consciousness in terms of sanitation and cleanliness.
• But the mere task of building toilets will do India no good, unless a National policy for
treating sanitation waste is adopted at the earliest.
• Untreated sanitary waste has been dumped recklessly in our rivers and lakes for years,
resulting in rivers like Ganga and Yamuna facing severe pollution crisis.

NATIONAL URBAN SANITATION POLICY

• The Government has adopted the National Urban Sanitation Policy with a view to
addressing the above mentioned issues in October 2008.
• The vision of the policy is that All Indian cities and towns become totally sanitized,
healthy and livable and ensure and sustain good public health and environmental
outcomes for all their citizens with a special focus on hygienic and affordable sanitation
facilities for the urban poor and women.
SANITATION STATISTICS OF URBAN INDIA
TIMELINE OF SANITATION POLICY

1986 1992 1999 2003

• Central rural • Review CRSP • Total sanitation • Nirmal gram
sanitation on campaign puruskar under
program TSC

2012 2008 2005

• TSC renamed as • National urban • Sampoorna
nirmal bharat sanitation swachata
abhiyan (NBA) policy andolana
scheme
VISION

The vision for Urban Sanitation in India is:

All Indian cities and towns become totally sanitized, healthy and liveable and ensure and
sustain good public health and environmental outcomes for all their citizens with a special
focus on hygienic and affordable sanitation facilities for the urban poor and women.

Key Sanitation Policy Issues

In order to achieve the above Vision, following key policy issues must be addressed:
• Poor Awareness
• Social and Occupational aspects of Sanitation
• Fragmented Institutional Roles and Responsibilities
• Lack of an Integrated City-wide Approach
• Limited Technology Choices
• Reaching the Un-served and Poor
• Lack of Demand Responsiveness

Policy Goals
The overall goal of this policy is to transform Urban India into community-driven, totally
sanitized, healthy and liveable cities and towns.
The specific goals are:
A - Awareness Generation and Behaviour Change
B - Open Defecation Free Cities
C - Integrated City-Wide Sanitation
LATRINES IN BAD CONDITIONS IN INDIAN SLUMS
WHY IS SANITATION IMPORTANT?
• Sanitation is intrinsically linked to health, and unless faecal waste is treated properly and
disposed of safely, it will find its way back into our bodies and make us sick either by
contaminating our sources of drinking water or getting into the food chain.
• Illnesses like diarrhea, worms, cholera and malaria caused by poor sanitation needlessly
take the lives of millions of people every day, Diarrhea alone responsible for the deaths
of 5,000 children a day, says Unicef.
• Providing sanitary conditions such as proper toilet facilities, clean running water and a
means of safe garbage disposal can therefore prevent the incidence of such widespread
disease and death.
• Sanitation plays an important part in ensuring that children have fair access to an
education which will help them succeed in life as adults. 
• Sanitation can help to promote the economic development of a country by providing the
means for food production and a healthy workforce while reducing the drain on public
health services.
• Sanitation plays an important part in protecting the environment and promoting
sustainability. According to the United Nations, reusing human waste through ecological
sanitation can produce fertilizers which can be used in agriculture. 
• India’s National Urban Sanitation Policy (NUSP, 2008) defines sanitation as “safe
management of human excreta, including its safe confinement treatment, disposal and
associated hygiene-related practices.”
The full cycle of sanitation has four stages:
• Access to toilets;
• safe containment;
• conveyance either through the sewerage network or de-sludging trucks,
• Treatment and disposal.

The faecal waste needs to be handled safely at each of these stages in order to gain public
health benefits. Following policy goals have been specified under National Urban Sanitation
Policy (NUSP):
• Awareness Generation and Behavior Change
• Open Defecation Free Cities
• Integrated City-Wide Sanitation
• Sanitary and Safe Disposal
• Proper Operation & Maintenance of all Sanitary Installations
Open Defecation Free (ODF), ODF+, ODF++ Status
 ODF: An area can be notified or declared as ODF if at any point of the day, not even a
single person is found defecating in the open.
 ODF+: This status is given if at any point of the day, not a single person is
found defecating and/or urinating in the open, and all community and public toilets are
functional and well maintained.
 ODF++: This status is given if the area is already ODF+ and the faecal sludge/septage
and sewage are safely managed and treated, with no discharging or dumping of
untreated faecal sludge and sewage into the open drains, water bodies or areas.
ODF, ODF+, ODF++ CITIES CONCEPT
The National Urban Sanitation Policy 2008 Way Forward:
• All aspects of the business of
sanitation need reform if India is
to meet Goal Number 6 of the
Sustainable Development Goals
with egalitarian policies.
Decentralised sludge
management systems would
bring improvement in the
environment and reduces the
disease burden because of
insanitary conditions.
• Mapping of the flow of faecal
waste streams in individual cities
is required. Inter-departmental
task forces are needed to
identify land for building small
treatment systems for sludge.
• Manual scavengers continue to
be employed in violation of the
law to clean septic tanks in some
places and urgent
mechanisation is to be done.
THE F-DIAGRAM CONCEPT-DISEASE TRANSMISSION ROUTE
• There are multiple routes through which faeces can be consumed and cause disease.
• The diagram below which is known as the ‘F-diagram’ illustrates the relationship
between faeces, flies, food, fluids, feet? and fingers as routes of transmission of
diseases.
• It shows how faecal matter gets to our mouth through the different routes and the ways
of breaking the transmission cycle. The green lines indicate places where onward
transmission can be prevented through hygienic behaviours.
Using the diagram, we can see that the most important way of preventing spread of
diarrheal diseases is:
• Proper disposal of faeces through use of pit latrine (Flies, fluids, fields)
• Proper hand washing with soap or ash at the critical times (Fingers, food)
• Drinking safe and clean water (fluids)
• Treating water by boiling or use of chlorine tablets (fluids)
• Covering food and water (Flies, Fluids)
• Proper cooking of food (Food)
• Providing general health education on water, sanitation and hygiene promotion with
emphasis on food hygiene, personal hygiene, environmental hygiene
• Protecting water sources and storage tanks by fencing, providing lids, repair of leakages
and broken pipes (fluids)
• Cleanliness around water collection points and draining of waste/dirty water (fluids)
NATIONAL TELECOM POLICY
TIMELINE OF NATIONAL TELECOM POLICY

1995 1995 2011 2013 2015

●
National
●
MTNL
●
1 electric
st Telecom
●
1st formal &BSNL
telegraph Policy
telephone carved out
line laid ●
Departmen Launched
service of DoT to
between t of that
established run
Calcutta telecom brought
with total telecom
and established changes in
93 services of
diamond ownership,
subscribers Mumbai
harbor service and
and Delhi
regulation

●
India is
●
Telecom only
●
Mobile
●
1st call regulatory ●
100%fdi in second
number
made from authority telecom country in
portability
phone. of allowed by the world
service
●
Internet India(TRAI) governmen to reach 1
start in
introduced was t billion
india
formed telephone
subscribers
• The Union Cabinet has approved the new telecom policy now named National Digital
Communications Policy (NDCP) 2018 and also re-designation of the Telecom
Commission as the “Digital Communications Commission".
• The new National Digital Communications Policy -2018 will replace the existing National
Telecom Policy-2012, to cater to the modern technological advancements such as 5G,
IoT, M2M etc. in the Telecom Sector.
• Machine-to-machine, or M2M, is a broad label that can be used to describe any
technology that enables networked devices to exchange information and perform
actions without the manual assistance of humans.
• The Internet of Things (IoT) is a seamlessly connected network system of embedded
objects/devices, in which communication without any human intervention is possible
using standard and interoperable communication protocols. E.g.: An IoT-enabled air
conditioning system can report whether its air filter is clean and functioning properly.

FEATURES OF NATIONAL DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS POLICY

It envisages three Missions:
1. Connect India: Creating Robust Digital Communications Infrastructure.
i. National Broadband Mission (Rashtriya Broadband
Abhiyan)- Provide Universal broadband connectivity at 50Mbps to every
citizen by 2022.
ii. BharatNet- Provide 1 Gbps connectivity to all Gram Panchayats of India by
2020 and 10 Gbps by 2022.
iii. GramNet – Connecting all key rural development institutions with 10 Mbps
upgradeable to 100 Mbps.
iv. NagarNet – Establishing 1 Million public Wi-Fi Hotspots in urban areas.
v. JanWiFi – Establishing 2 Million Wi-Fi Hotspots in rural areas.
vi. Enable 100 Mbps broadband on demand to all key development
institutions including all educational institutions by 2022.
vii. Fibre First Initiative to take fibre to the home, to enterprises and to key
development institutions in Tier I, II and III towns and to rural clusters.
viii. Establishment of a National Digital Grid by National Fibre Authority.
Strengthening Satellite Communication Technologies in India by reviewing
SATCOM policy, making available new spectrum bands, streamlining
administrative processes for assignment and allocations, clearances and
permissions related to satellite communication systems, etc.
ix. Ensuring Customer Satisfaction, Quality of Service and effective Grievance
Redressal by establishing Telecom Ombudsman, framing a comprehensive
policy to encourage the adoption of environmental and safety
standards and incentivizing the use of renewable energy technologies in the
communications sector.
2. Propel India: Enabling Next Generation Technologies and Services through
Investments, Innovation and IPR generation.
i. Attract investments of USD 100 Billion in the Digital Communications
Sector, expand IoT ecosystem to 5 Billion connected devices,
accelerate transition to Industry 4.0 by 2022.
ii. Creation of innovation led Start-ups in Digital Communications sector.
iii. Creation of Globally recognized IPRs (Intellectual Property Rights) in India.
iv. Development of Standard Essential Patents (SEPs) in the field of digital
communication technologies.
v. Train/ Re-skill 1 Million manpower for building New Age Skills.

3. Secure India:Ensuring Sovereignty, Safety and Security of Digital Communications.

vi. Establish a comprehensive data protection regime for digital communications
that safeguards the privacy, autonomy and choice of individuals and facilitates
India’s effective participation in the global digital economy.
vii. Ensure that net neutrality principles are upheld and aligned with service
requirements, bandwidth availability and network capabilities including next
generation access technologies.
viii. Develop and deploy robust digital communication network security frameworks.
ix. Build capacity for security testing and establish appropriate security standards.
x. Address security issues relating to encryption and security clearances.
xi. Enforce accountability through appropriate institutional mechanisms to assure
citizens of safe and secure digital communications infrastructure and services.