A Cauvery Water Management Board (CWMB) is the most ideal solution to settle the on-going Cauvery water conflict between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, Central Water Commission (CWC) chairman G.S. Jha said on Wednesday.
"The Cauvery Water Management Board is to be set up within four weeks' time with representatives both from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu," Jha said at an ASSOCHAM event here. A division bench of the apex court had on Tuesday ordered the Centre to constitute the CWMB within four weeks.
"We cannot think of bringing security unless we are able to create storage and then release water as per the requirement," he said, stressing on the importance of water storage.
He also lamented farmers not getting commensurate benefit on investments made in the water sector.
"Benefits have to be really translated into tangible benefits which are to accrue to the farmers as individual farmers' fields are not able to receive water," he said.
Central Electricity Authority (CEA) chairman S.D. Dubey, who also spoke at the event, said the National Electricity Plan will be out by the end of the month.
"We have already submitted it to the Power Ministry in September, it is a perspective plan in terms of power transmission, distribution and generation for upcoming period. Once it is approved by the ministry, then we can come out with certain figures pertaining to the same.
"We would be putting it in the public domain to invite comments," said Dubey.
ASSOCHAM president Sunil Kanoria suggested pricing water to curb wastage. "Parallel to power, water should be priced. Reasonable pricing strategy can help curb wastage. Technology intervention is required for optimising usage of water in thermal power plants, efficient ground water-based irrigation, recycling and conservation of water and rainwater harvesting," he said.