(1) The Authority shall work according to the framework of the State Water Policy.
(2) The Authority shall, recognise the policy of empowering River Basin Agencies in accordance with the State Water Policy.
(3) The Authority shall, in accordance with the State Water Policy, co-ordinate with all relevant State agencies to implement a comprehensive hydro-meteorological data system for the State.
(4) The Authority shall, in accordance with State Water Policy, promote and implement sound water conservation and management practices throughout the State.
(5) The Authority shall support and aid the enhancement, and preservation of water quality within the State in close co-ordination with the relevant State agencies and in doing so the principle that 'the person who pollutes shall pay' shall be follow.
(6) The Authority shall fix the Quota at project level, sub-basin level, basin level on the basis of the following principles :-
(a) for equitable distribution of water in the command area of the project, every landholder in the command area shall be given Quota;
(b) the Quota shall be fixed on the basis of the land in the command area :
Provided that, during the water scarcity period each landholder shall, as far as possible, be given Quota adequate to irrigate at least one Acre of land;
(c) in order to share the distress in the river basin or sub-basin equitably, the water stored in the reservoirs in the basin or sub-basin, as the case may be, shall be controlled by the end of October every year in such way that, the percentage of utilizable water, including Kharif use, shall, for all reservoirs approximately be the same;
(d) subject to the condition of efficient use of water, the existing private sector lift irrigation management schemes shall be allowed to continue for a period of five years from the date of commencement of this Act and thereafter on the date that may be specified by the Government the provisions of sub-section (4) of section 14 shall apply :
Provided that, having regard to geographical conditions, different dates may be notified for different areas;
(e) the command area of private lift Irrigation schemes, existing on the date of commencement of this Act, shall be treated at par with the notified command area of the irrigation projects.
(7) The Authority shall ensure that the principle of "tail to head" irrigation is implemented by the River Basin Agency.
(8) The Authority shall abide by the relevant provisions of the Maharashtra Ground Water Regulation (Drinking Water Purposes) Act, 1993 (Mah. XXVIII of 1993).
(9) The Authority shall while framing policy, give preference to the projects so that, the physical backlog forming the basis of the financial backlog be eradicated in accordance with the Governor's directives.
(10) (a) The Authority shall strive to make the water available to the drought prone areas of the State;
(b) The Authority shall ensure that, the funds made available to a drought prone district are spent preferably in the areas, where irrigation facilities are less than the other areas of that district.
(11) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, a person having more than two children shall be required to pay one and half times of the normal rates of water charges fixed under clause (d) of section 11 to get entitlement of water for the purpose of agriculture :
Provided that, a person having more than two children on the date of commencement of this Act, shall not be required to pay such one and half times water charges so long as the number of children he had on such date of commencement does not increase :
Provided further that, a child or more than one child born in a single delivery within the period of one year from such date of commencement, shall not be taken into consideration for the purpose of this sub-section.
Explanation.- For the purposes of this sub-section,-
(a) Where a couple has only one child on or after the date of such commencement, any number of children born out of a single subsequent delivery shall be deemed to be one entity;
(b) "child" does not include an adopted child or children.