Special Water Dossiers

Inter-sectoral conflicts

Water & Sanitation @ IELRC

Inter-sectoral water conflicts - Rajsamand, Rajasthan

Rajsamand Lake, around 70km from Udaipur in South-west Rajasthan is the second biggest artificial lake in Asia. It was constructed in 1676 by Maharana Rajsingh upon the Gomati River. The catchment area of the lake largely depends upon Gomati River. This has been in part affected by mining activities upstream of the lake. Other sources of water are the Nandsamand Dam and the Chikalwas Dam constructed in 1957 and 1997 respectively. A purpose, though not the major one, of both these dams is to divert water from these dams to Rajsamand Lake.

The lake was devoted after independence to irrigation use. Progressively, population growth in the urban areas bordering the lake led to part of the water to be used for drinking water purposes. A part of the water is also given to JK Industries through a long-term agreement whose text is found on this website. The conflict between these different uses came to the fore in the 2000s when the lake dried entirely for the first time since it was made. This led to a confrontation between people of the town and farmers that was adjudicated by the courts.

The court's intervention has provided some short-term answers to the conflicts but does not provide a framework for resolving them in the long run.The controversy over Rajsamand lake is an important case study highlighting the lack of an effective legal regime to solve inter-sectoral water conflicts.

Selected Documents

N.A.A. Upbhokta Sanrakshan Sansthan v State of Rajasthan, 2012

N.A.A. Upbhokta Sanrakshan Sansthan v State of Rajasthan, 2010

Order on Reservation of Water for Drinking in Irrigation Tanks/Dams/Anicuts, 2009

Supply of Water from Rajsamand Tank to M/s J.K. Industries Ltd, Kankroli, 2006

N.A.A. Upbhokta Sanrakshan Sansthan v State of Rajasthan, 2006