Efficient Water Management is the New Criteria of Good Governance: Niti Aayog

Efficient water management has become a new parameter of good governance. NITI Aayog will be ranking states based on their water resources management against a new Composite Water Management Index developed by the government think tank.

The new rankings would be declared on January 2018, Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog, said on the sidelines of a day-long national workshop on tracking water management initiatives.

The index — based on which the states would be ranked — will take into consideration factors like source augmentation (restoration of water bodies, groundwater), rural drinking water, urban water supply and sanitation, as well as policy and governance including enactment of legislations for protecting water bodies and prevention of encroachment, among others.

According to Kant, this was the first time an outcome-oriented index was designed to rank states on their management of water resources. He said the best practices adopted by the states on water resources management will also be highlighted.

During the workshop, Ramesh Chand, member, NITI Aayog, advised states to take advantage of the index for achieving water security in the country.

The index would serve as a useful tool to track performance in the water sector and to help in taking up corrective measures for achieving better outcomes, a NITI Aayog document stated.