With the help of the extent and nature of fiscal investment trends in water
resources development, we argue that the emerging scenario does not bode well for
the Centre to pursue these goals. This does not mean to imply for a ‘stronger
Centre’, but for a stronger and robust federal governance of water resources.
The chapter is organized in the following manner. The section following the
introduction elaborates on the critical need for a relook at the federal water governance arrangements with particular reference to emerging conditions and challenges to water governance to posit a possible ‘federal anarchy’—an absence of
robust and effective federal governance mechanisms—in water resources
management.
In Sect. 2, we examine this condition by a deep engagement with the changing
course of Centre–state relations in governing the country’s water resources. It
employs an unexplored dimension of looking at fiscal leverage of the Centre and
analyzes the water resource management budgetary allocations of the Centre, and
some select states to engage with the following questions.
(a) How do water resources management budgetary allocations of the Centre and
states vary over time? What are the strategic priorities reflected by these
allocations?
(b) How do the intergovernmental financial transfers (IGFTs) matter for states, in
contrast to their own allocations? What kind of influence does the Centre bear
over states to make them shift their strategies?
(c) What are the possible strategic directions for strengthening India’s federal
governance structure towards addressing its development and long-term water
security goals?
Section 3 discusses the implications and future directions to strengthen federal
water governance towards pursuing India’s development and long-term water
security goals.
2 Is India Water-Secure? The Role of Federal Water
Governance
The idea of water security varies with the disciplinary specializations and practitioner interests. The conventional notion of water security, however, primarily
emphasizes supply augmentation by building dams and other storage structures and
corresponding distribution networks. Water-insecure countries face greater challenges compared to those early water-secure countries due to difficult hydrological
conditions and greater responsibility towards social and environmental impacts
(Grey and Sadoff 2007).
However, global assessments of water security suggest that the path of greater
investments infrastructure does not necessarily ensure water security in its true
sense. Investments made in pursuit of creation of physical infrastructure, if planned
Whither India’s Federal Governance for Long-Term Water Security?
167
resources development, we argue that the emerging scenario does not bode well for
the Centre to pursue these goals. This does not mean to imply for a ‘stronger
Centre’, but for a stronger and robust federal governance of water resources.
The chapter is organized in the following manner. The section following the
introduction elaborates on the critical need for a relook at the federal water governance arrangements with particular reference to emerging conditions and challenges to water governance to posit a possible ‘federal anarchy’—an absence of
robust and effective federal governance mechanisms—in water resources
management.
In Sect. 2, we examine this condition by a deep engagement with the changing
course of Centre–state relations in governing the country’s water resources. It
employs an unexplored dimension of looking at fiscal leverage of the Centre and
analyzes the water resource management budgetary allocations of the Centre, and
some select states to engage with the following questions.
(a) How do water resources management budgetary allocations of the Centre and
states vary over time? What are the strategic priorities reflected by these
allocations?
(b) How do the intergovernmental financial transfers (IGFTs) matter for states, in
contrast to their own allocations? What kind of influence does the Centre bear
over states to make them shift their strategies?
(c) What are the possible strategic directions for strengthening India’s federal
governance structure towards addressing its development and long-term water
security goals?
Section 3 discusses the implications and future directions to strengthen federal
water governance towards pursuing India’s development and long-term water
security goals.
2 Is India Water-Secure? The Role of Federal Water
Governance
The idea of water security varies with the disciplinary specializations and practitioner interests. The conventional notion of water security, however, primarily
emphasizes supply augmentation by building dams and other storage structures and
corresponding distribution networks. Water-insecure countries face greater challenges compared to those early water-secure countries due to difficult hydrological
conditions and greater responsibility towards social and environmental impacts
(Grey and Sadoff 2007).
However, global assessments of water security suggest that the path of greater
investments infrastructure does not necessarily ensure water security in its true
sense. Investments made in pursuit of creation of physical infrastructure, if planned
Whither India’s Federal Governance for Long-Term Water Security?
167