Gomukh Trust has a Secretariat of Council of Equitable Water Rights since its inception. ‘Council for Equitable Water Rights’ is registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 on 1st of January 2003. The council mainly works towards poverty eradication, preservation, protection and conservation of environment with people's participation, integrated management and equitable distribution of water and other natural resources for achieving sustainable development.

Late Shri. Vilasrao Salunkhe, the well-known water expert in India, had convened a state level ‘Pani Parishad’ (water council) on 15th Jan. 2000 at Pune. On this occasion, The Council for Equitable Water Rights (Samanayayi Pani Watap Parishad) was formed under the presidentship of Shri. P. B. Sawant, Rtd. Justice, Supreme Court. This Council acted as a forum of NGOs, social workers, thinkers and technocrats working in the water sector. After about 3 years, it was felt that the Parishad should get registered as a society. Accordingly, it is registered as ”Council For Equitable Water Rights” on 1st Jan. 2003.

As successor to the Parishad the council has undertaken the responsibility of guiding experiments in equitable distribution of water. The proposal for equitable distribution of water in Chikotra valley in Kolhapur District submitted to the government of Maharashtra is the first of such experiments.

Aims and Objectives of the Council

Keeping in view the millennium goals identified by the UN and ratified by all countries including India, the aims of the Council for Equitable Water Rights are identified as follows: -

a) To work towards poverty eradication, preservation, protection and conservation of environment with people's participation, integrated management and equitable distribution of water and other natural resources for achieving sustainable development.

b) To work for integrated comprehensive and sustainable development of the rural areas and deprived segments of the urban population towards self – reliance.

Some of the objectives incidental or ancillary to the attainment of the main objectives are as follows

1. To secure ‘Access to Water’ as fundamental right, for all the rural population



2. To provide Adequate domestic water to all, and to consciously correct the gender imbalance prevailing in the water sector today.



3. To provide Minimum food security through agriculture, with minimum assured water, to farming community, landless, destitute and deprived classes of the society.



4. To undertake integrated participatory watershed planning development and management, with the river basin/ sub basin as the units, to make available to the village community, the quota of water computed on the basis of population and water availability in each sub-catchment.



5. To organize the community for water management from village to river basin level, within the carrying capacity of the eco-system.



6. To Prevent water pollution through awareness building and participation of user communities.



7. And to undertake any other activity for the promotion of the aims and objects of the council.