SOAS Research Online

Abstract

India’s dependence on water is critical owing to its large agricultural base, the water needs of its billion-plus population, and the recent economic growth trends. Despite the plethora of material on environmental law, legal scholarship on water law in particular has been negligible. This timely work pieces together key legislative instruments and policy documents to provide an overarching picture of the legal regime and regulations related to water in India. The book discusses the policy framework for the use of water in India. It also brings out the complexity in the structure of laws due to variations at the levels of their implementation, i.e., at the international, national, state, municipal, and panchayat levels. It covers a wide range of issues such as centre–state relations; management, appropriation, and control of water; irrigation; sanitation; drinking water; ground water; pollution; and water-dependent activities like power generation, and fisheries. It further explores water-related environmental and health concerns. The work also examines the importance of various conflict resolution processes for resolving water-related disputes. It offers a range of legal ideas on water management in India, and thus, provides major insights into the field. This work will fill a critical gap in the study of and research on water law, providing a ready reference point for a variety of legal mechanisms, and introduction to how they work and what their implications are.! Lucid and comprehensive, this book, apart from being invaluable for students and teachers of law, political science, economics, and development studies, will also appeal to anybody keen to learn more about water law in India.