Gandhinagar: Closely following the draft Gujarat Water Policy 2011 sent to the chief minister’s office (CMO) for finalization, a fresh high-level document, prepared for the Planning Commission of India, has proposed major water reforms in rural Gujarat. This document proposes introducing availability of water 24x7 through water meters at the individual household level. Suggesting that this can be done on a pilot basis in 50 selected villages in the first year of the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17), the document says other villages can follow “based on results and response of the community towards water usage.” The document says, 24x7 water supply has been favoured by high-level studies. It adds that it will check leakages and wastage and reduce drinking water quantity because users will be assured of drinking water at any time of day or night. Underlining that this should be done after “motivating” communities to “support” the 24x7 water supply, it believes that the practice of metering system would be particularly necessary. The document emphasizes that 24x7 metered drinking water would require private and corporate sector’s involvement. “Willing and suitable corporates may join to provide services which may be projects on Build, Own Operate and Transfer (BOOT) or Build, Own and Transfer (BOT) basis,” it says. It adds that as this would mean a steep rise in tariffs sans political interference, it would require setting up of an independent regulator, who would work out ways for “full cost recovery, elimination of subsidies and cutting off or withholding services in case of non-payment or undue delay in payment.” The draft Gujarat Water Policy 2011 had suggested that water meters be made compulsory for supply of domestic water in the state’s urban local bodies. Simultaneously, it pointed out that current water rates were highly uneconomical and should change. It said, “Water rates should be such that people may save water, try to reuse it, and prevent wastage and losses.” This is not the first time that Gujarat government has toyed with the idea of 24x7 metered water supply. It had planned it in 2008 on an experimental basis in Gandhinagar, Mehsana, Anand, Bharuch, Morbi and Amreli on the basis of studies sponsored by the World Bank.