This article looks at the emerging policy context on irrigation and drinking water supply in Jharkhand, the position of water rights in state legislation, the importance of water user groups, the critical issues of access to water for both the rural and the urban poor and the legal implications.
 

The Bangladesh government is formulating a new law to protect rivers, canals and other water bodies and flood-flow zones from encroachment. This law would be crucial because an existing law to

To tide over acute water crisis in the Punjab province of Pakistan, members of parliament of the ruling coalition of Punjab have asked the government to buy water from India. They have also demanded

What about privatising water? Should India move to do it? What tips the scales in its favour, and what doesn t? In 2003, two editorials in Down To Earth tried to tackle such questions see: