Declining per capita water availability, growing regional imbalances owing to spatial and temporal variations in rainfall, rising multi-sectorial water demand, inequitable water distribution, low irrigation efficiency, deteriorating water quality, etc are some of the issues that will pose a serious challenge in the days ahead. The need of the hour is a comprehensive strategy that encapsulates all the aspects of the water sector. Project-centric development pursued during the early-plan periods needs to be replaced by integrated water resources planning, development and management for optimising the water resources allocation.
