The Union Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation released the Draft National Water Framework Bill, 2016 on 16 May. The Ministry has invited comments and suggestions on the draft from the public.

The Draft National Water Framework Bill provides an overarching national legal framework with principles for protection, conservation, regulation and management of water as a vital and stressed natural resource. It will be circulated as a model bill to the states, to replace the existing draft law of 2013. A proposed new law on water promises to give every person the right to a minimum amount of “safe water”, while making the state “obliged” to “protect” and conserve water.

Since ‘water’ is in the State list of the Constitution, the Act will be applicable only after approval of the concerned State legislature