The central government has come out with two draft model bills with an aim to improve water management and groundwater levels. The draft National Water Framework bill deals with water management issues and Ground Water Model bill will help states tackle groundwater crisis. Secretary, Union Water Resources Ministry, Shashi Shekhar said the kind of drought situation witnessed against a backdrop of climate change, may reoccur and the water problem is escalating so the need of the hour is efficient water management. He added that the bills provides guideline and framework on how states can manage water. The Ministry in a statement said National Water Framework bill provides an overarching national legal framework based on principles for protection, conservation, regulation and management of water as a vital and stressed natural resource under which legislation and executive action on water at all levels of governance can take place. The statement added that the state should act as a public trustee of groundwater, which should be treated as a common pool resource to make sure that it is protected, conserved, regulated and managed. Meanwhile, the government has sought suggestions/comments on both the bills, latest by June 25, 2016. Mr Shekhar said after incorporating suggestions/comments, the bills will be put before the Union Cabinet for approval and then tabled in Parliament before being circulated to states.