Mihir Shah Committee

The expert committee headed by Dr. Mihir Shah was tasked with the responsibility of assessing the performance of Central Water Commission (CWC) and Central Ground Water Board (CGWB). The committee submitted its report July, 2016.

National Water Commission: The Committee recommended that the CWC and CGWB should be restructured and unified to form a new National Water Commission (NWC) as a unified body will help in the collective management of ground and surface water.

• The NWC will be responsible for water policy, data and governance in the country. It should be an adjunct office of the Ministry of Water Resources and function with full autonomy.

The committee recommended that the NWC should have 8 divisions to perform varied functions like –

1. Irrigation Reform Division: This division will assist states to focus on irrigation projects and improve water management.
2. River Rejuvenation Division: This division will help participatory institutions at various levels to implement region-specific programs for rejuvenation of rivers.
3. Aquifer Mapping and Participatory Ground Water Management Division: This division will lead the National Aquifer Management Programme for mapping and management of aquifer systems in the country. To facilitate its implementation, it will build relationships with state ground water departments, research institutions, etc. It will also assess and estimate ground water resources at the national level.
4. Water Security Division: This division will devise policies and programs to tackle challenges related to water security. These include: (i) ensuring the right to water for life, and (ii) protecting the agrarian economy from the impact of floods and droughts.
5. Urban and Industrial Water Division: This division will help devise cost-effective and appropriate technology to recycle and reuse urban and industrial waste water. It will also map aquifers in urban India and develop strategies for sustainable ground water management in cities.
6. Water Quality Division: This division will develop and implement programs to control pollution of water bodies and aquifers.
7. Water Data Management and Transparency Division: This division will create and maintain a transparent and accessible system of data management on water for public use.
8. Knowledge Management and Capacity Building Division: This division will be responsible for development of institutions for capacity building of water professionals in water and land management.