← All questionsGS4 · 2024 · Case Studies — Public Sector ·Collector, Water Crisis and Farmers vs Industry (Case)
QUESTION 11
GS4
20 marks

With the summer heat being exceptionally severe this year, the district has been facing severe water shortage. The District Collector has been mobilising his subordinate officials to conserve the remaining water reserves to prevent the district from plunging into an 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.(a) Discuss all options available to the District Collector as a District Magistrate.(b) What suitable actions can be taken in view of mutually compatible interests of the stakeholders?(c) What are the potential administrative and ethical dilemmas for the District Collector?

WRITE IN
14 min
250 words

What the examiner wants

In a severe water shortage, farmers protest curbs while industry draws groundwater. List the Collector's options, actions that reconcile interests, and the dilemmas.

Case studyName the stakeholders and the issues, weigh the options, and say what you would do and why.

Demand-wise check

  1. 1(a) Options: enforce curbs on farmers only; curb industry too; close industry; negotiate rationing for all users≈65 words
  2. 2(b) Actions: audit industrial withdrawals, cap and meter borewells, priority for drinking water, water recycling by industry, tankers, crop advisory for less water-intensive crops, transparent public data≈65 words
  3. 3(c) Dilemmas: livelihoods vs drinking water, jobs vs equity, allegation of corruption vs need for trust, law enforcement vs avoiding protests≈65 words

Open in about 30 words and close in about 30.

Answer plan

(a) options(b) balanced action plan(c) dilemmasConclusion stressing fair rationing

Where marks usually go

  • Siding entirely with farmers or industry
  • No mention of drinking water priority

Draw this

  • Table: stakeholder → need → action

Value addition

  • PolicyNational Water Policy 2012 gives drinking water and sanitation first priority.Ministry of Jal Shakti
  • RuleCentral Ground Water Authority guidelines (2020) require a no-objection certificate for industrial groundwater use.Central Ground Water Authority

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