State policies in the context of the state/ national/ and international development goals.

In particular reference to water, however, the draft state water policies (1995 and 2005) continue to alienate communities’ traditional rights on water use and management including the traditional wisdom and knowledge. Rajasthan Government needs to spare a thought about UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to which Govt. of India is committed to attain by 2105. In the context of the MDGs, goal no 7 “ Ensure environmental sustainability” aiming at integrating the principles of sustainable development, reducing by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and achieving significant improvement in lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers by 2020 remains a far cry. India is not on track achieving the MDGs by 2015 including the goal 7. Moreover, State Development Goals or 6 priorities as envisioned in Vision document of the Rajasthan Government (as given below) do not explicitly make a mention or seek to address the UN MDGs, in particular, goal 7 related to water.

The tank in village Shahpur is located in an area that was evidently important for the Chandela kings. Steeped in history the area has temples, elephant stables and was clearly a resort for the royalty.

JATARA, India (Asia Water Wire) - Wisdom of the ancients could soon  benefit modern-day farmers and fisherfolk in one of India's poor  regions, thanks to the innovative rehabilitation of unique water  tanks built more than a millennium ago in central Madhya Pradesh state.

   These Chandeli tanks, as they are called locally, were built by  kings and feudal landlords more than a thousand years ago. They  served as the epitome of sound water management practised in earlier  times.

NEW DELHI (IPS) - India’s new right-to-information laws have drawn first blood -- secret deals involving the World Bank to privatise water supply and sanitation in the Indian capital.

   Parliament passed a right to information bill in May but, by then, several states had already gone ahead with legislations of their own so that the culture of demanding to know what is going on is gradually taking root.

YARZULI, INDIA (Asia Water Wire) - Bengia Abo grew up in this lush, green mountain village sprawling on the banks of the Panyor River here in upper Arunachal Pradesh state in north-east India.

   “Panyor is like our mother," the 32-year-old, who belongs to the indigenous Nishi tribe, told IPS as he stood on a ridge overlooking the snow-fed river on a recent afternoon. "It supports the lives of thousands of indigenous people in the area.

NEW DELHI (IPS) - Anti-big dam activists are livid that authorities are still trying to evade responsibility a week after at least 65 people drowned in waters suddenly released from the Indira Sagar dam in the Narmada Valley of central India.

The victims, mostly Hindu pilgrims who had congregated on Apr. 7 for a customary new moon, bathing ritual at Dharaji village in the Dewas district on the Narmada River about 25 kilometers downstream from the dam, were swept away to their deaths.