Time to turn off trickle-down politics

Water is essential to life. So, while it needs to be politicised - in the sense of its universal availability being part and parcel of the state's delivery bouquet - playing politics with water is, to put it mildly, bad form. Last week, the Supreme Court underscored this fact again when it ordered the BJP-ruled Haryana government to facilitate the flow of 137 cusecs of surplus water from Himachal Pradesh to AAP-ruled Delhi 'without any hindrance'. The order is welcome. Delhi had approached the top court earlier, stating that record-high temperatures have led to an excessive surge in water demand, leading to shortage. It also claimed that though it had taken all administrative measures to ensure optimised, rationed and targeted water supply across the city, shortage remained acute.

With the demand for water rising, inter-state rivalry over its resources will only intensify. To pre-empt such conflicts, it's crucial to develop a legally binding mechanism for sharing river water across states and within states, among local governments and different user classes, such as residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural.

Any water management framework must prioritise equity, user needs, and preservation of our rivers' environmental health. It should be adaptable to seasonal variations in water availability. The practice of offering free water as a handout (in exchange for votes) must be discouraged. It's also crucial to focus on improving health of our water bodies and promoting groundwater recharge. Efficiency in water use, waste reduction, and advanced water treatment and recycling are equally vital. No state can afford to squander water, as the Supreme Court reminded the Delhi government, and expect other states to bail it out.