The Prime Minister today said that mapping of the aquifers in the country will be initiated in the 12th five year plan to obtain basic information on ground water availability. Aquifers are continuous underground water resources. Dr. Manmohan Singh said, it will help in their effective management. Inaugurating India Water Week at a function in New Delhi today, Dr. Singh expressed serious concern over the decline in the ground water across the country. He said, there is an urgent need to conserve ground water and a clear legal framework to govern its usage. Noting that inadequate and sub-optimal pricing of power and water are promoting misuse of groundwater, the Prime Minister stressed on the need to move towards participatory mechanisms of pricing of water by the primary stakeholders themselves. Dr. Singh underlined that one of the problems in achieving better management is that the current institutional and legal structures that deal with water in India are inadequate, fragmented and hence need urgent reform. He said, the government has been working on watershed management, rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge.Dr. Singh said, the government has launched a National Water Mission as part of an Action Plan on Climate Change.

He said, the main objective of the Mission is to achieve integrated management of water resources by conserving water, minimizing wastage and ensuring its more equitable distribution both across and within various States.The Prime Minister informed that the Mission proposed a review of the National Water Policy. He said, the draft of the new Policy proposes the establishment of water regulatory authorities in each State and a national forum to deliberate upon issues relating to water and evolve consensus, cooperation and reconciliation amongst various States.
The inaugural function was also attended by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, Water Resources Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia.