The prime objective of the guidelines for the withdrawal of ground water, especially for the industries and infrastructures, is to focus on a specific part of ground water management viz.

Groundwater supplies 60 per cent of the water for irrigation in India and 85 per cent of rural water supply relies upon groundwater. Accordingly, poverty reduction, rural development and sustainable food production in India rely upon the long-term availability of groundwater in sufficient quantity and quality. Efficient groundwater resource management is therefore of high priority in India.

Presentation by Sunita Narain, Director of Centre for Science and Environment at the Plenary session of World Water Week at Stockholm on September 6, 2010. Focuses on decentralized wastewater management and says that localisation is the key &  calls for affordable and sustainable approaches to waste management.