Water Regulator to be set up as part of World Bank reforms

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government is in the process of setting up a Water Regulatory Authority (WRA), and contemplating a Water Act too. Sources in the Government informed IANS that the process is on and this is being formulated after the World Bank suggested reforms.

These reforms, according to Water Authority department sources, are part of the Chennai City Partnership programme project which would be implemented between 2021-26. The project will be pre-funded by the Tamil Nadu government and reimbursed by the World Bank.

The programme will support the enactment of a Water Act. The proposed Act will create the legislative basis for the regulatory authority as also for groundwater management.

The proposed Act, according to the water authority sources will be instrumental for the operationalisation of the regulatory authority and for an evolving system for reservoir management, optimization, and monitoring.

The scheme will support the Metro water in the implementation of bulk metering, the establishment of a baseline on non-revenue water, and create measures to reduce the non-revenue factors from the same. It will be instrumental in developing a phased increase in the number of water supply connections as also evolve in the quality and quantity of the service to be provided.

The project calls for the posting of two independent directors on the Metro water board for greater transparency and improved services as also for increased collection of service charges and improvements in tax systems.

The Water Regulatory Authority (WRA) will have the necessary powers to coordinate water resource planning and management as also to improve water security.