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Question

With the summer heat being exceptionally severe this year, the district has been facing severe water shortage. The District Collector has been mobilizing his subordinate officials to conserve the remaining water reserves for preventing the district from plunging into acute drinking water crisis. Along with an awareness campaign for conserving water, strict measures have been taken for stopping the over-exploitation of ground-water. Vigilance teams have been deployed to tour the villages and find the farmers who are drawing water from deep borewells or from the river reservoir for irrigation. The farmers are agitated by such action. A delegation of farmers meets the District Collector with their issues and complains that while they are not being allowed to irrigate their crops, big industries located near the river are drawing huge amounts of water through deep borewells for their industrial processes. The farmers allege that their administration is anti-farmer and corrupt, being bribed by the industry. The district needs to placate the farmers as they are threatening to go on a prolonged protest. At the same time, the District Collector has to deal with the water crisis. The industry cannot be closed as this would result in a large number of workers being unemployed.

What suitable actions can be taken in view of mutually compatible interests of the stakeholders?

This question was previously asked in
UPSC CSE 2024 (Prelims) CSAT Previous Year Paper (16-Jun-2024)

To align the diverse interests, the District Collector should implement a transparent, evidence-based water allocation plan, setting clear quotas for both agriculture and industry based on actual need and availability. Encouraging the adoption of water-saving technologies like drip irrigation for farmers and promoting robust water recycling and reuse systems within industries can significantly reduce overall demand. Facilitating a joint stakeholder committee, comprising farmer and industry representatives alongside administrative officials, to monitor water usage and collaboratively explore long-term solutions such as rainwater harvesting or local watershed development, can build trust and foster shared responsibility.

Answered By:

Sarvesh Jha

Sarvesh Jha is a seasoned government exam mentor with firsthand success in top exams like IBPS PO, SBI PO, CDS, RRB JE, SSC CGL, BPSC, and CTET. Known for his deep conceptual clarity and strategic approach, he has guided over 5000 students through personalized mentorship. He has been creating well researched content for last 5 years.

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