Another dysfunctional water body in the making

LAHORE: With part-timers planted as its functionaries, the federal government has decided to propose establishment of National Water Commission (NWC) under its strict administrative control, a move that will virtually spoil the fundamental purpose of the otherwise professional and independent body.

The draft National Water Policy (NWP), containing proposal for setting up NWC at the platform of Council of Common Interests (CCI) will be presented in the upcoming meeting of the council.

However, devoid of dedicated and professional top management, the proposed body will be structured in a way that it would be run by the overburdened high-ups, who are already wearing many hats.

The proposed NWC is to be headed by federal minister for water resources, while its members will be federal minister for climate change, deputy chairman planning commission, and provincial irrigation ministers. Apart from chairman Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) and chief engineer advisor, a number of experts in different water related disciplines has also been proposed to be made members of the commission. 

In many other countries, including India, such commissions have been set up as an apex body, responsible for assessing progress on water policy and holding provincial and local governments accountable. National oversight of water assumes critical importance for efficient use of water in transparent way. 

The independent audit function of NWC is vital and could not be ensured without engaging professional at the top levels, said sources. It’s a matter of expertise and main management of commission doesn’t have what it takes to be in water management. 

To make matters worse, draft NWP has been proposed to set up a policy steering committee to oversee and monitor the policy implementation guidelines given by NWC through policy implementation cell. The proposed steering committee will again be headed by the civil establishment as secretary ministry of water resources will be the chairman. 

The formulation of policy has been marred by successive delays and change in priorities. Nevertheless, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government, in the last year if it’s tenure, finalised the draft NWP, which would be presented at the CCI meeting. 

It would be unjustified if only the present government is blamed for the delay in finalising the NWP as Pakistan has been without any such policy paper for the last at least more than a decade. 

The process of formulating the NWP has been lingering for the past many years. Successive governments did not find any charm in taking such good governance initiative in a water scarce country like Pakistan.

The record drought of late 1990s and early 2000s also failed in giving a wake call to policy makers. The process of formulating water policy was given least importance to the extent that a draft was prepared in 2005 under the National Drainage Programme (NDP). 

This followed by another deep slumber of about five years. In 2010, the then Ministry of Water & Power constituted a committee to update and finalise the draft of that water policy. This process and other similar process continued for another couple of years and following a Water Sector Task Force Report, a draft water policy was completed and sent to the relevant ministry by the end of 2012.

There were many excuses for ensuing delays. Eighteenth amendment was one of them as ministry of law changed the course of drafting the policy by declaring that “Legislative List of the Constitution, 1973 (4th Schedule) does not possess any such provision with regard to water policy, etc.

As such, it’s evident that it is a provincial subject and federal ministry, if considers necessary, may issue this policy, in consultation with the provinces through M/o Inter Provincial Coordination”. 

Therefore, defunct federal ministry of water and power directed the concerned authorities to expedite the process of approval of the NWP through ministry of the IPC after having consultations with all the stakeholders. This new process took about another two years. 

Despite long delays in the finalisation of the draft policy, consultation process with all the stakeholder could not be completed. Many farmer organisations and water bodies expressed ignorance about any consultation process. Farmers, especially belonging to Punjab, have not been given access to the draft policy, let alone paying heed to their proposals. 

Some media circles also raised similar questions, but never got the answers they were looking for.  Unfortunately, nearly the whole process of mustering support from the stakeholders over draft policy has been limited to only holding meetings in the federal capital.