Test Drive | Page 110

Chapter  6:  Legal  and  regulatory  framework  of  Water  Law     6.5.3    Conditions  for  losing  the  diversion  right  and  usufruct   According  to  Shari’ah,  following  the  line  of  reasoning  where  water  diversion  rights  and  usufruct  are  connected   to  the  land,  these  rights  cannot  be  lost.  Nevertheless,  the  use  of  these  rights  may  cease  in  certain  situations.   Firstly,  this  occurs  if  land  is  washed  away  or  covered  by  a  layer  of  sediment.  Secondly,  if  the  intake  structure  is   extremely   damaged   or   even   washed   away.   Thirdly,   the   beneficiary   may   also   abandon   the   use   and   fourthly   the   source  used  for  the  right  may  be  depleted.       The  Water  Law  provides  that  licenses  are  given  to  exploit  water  resources.  Rights  can  be  canceled  by  operation   of  law.  Article  38  stipulates  that:  ‘[l]icenses  granted  in  accordance  with  this  Law  for  drilling  water  wells  shall  be   considered  canceled  by  the  force  of  the  Law  in  the  following  events:   1-­‐  If  the  licensee  fails  to  commence  drilling  works  within  one  year  as  of  date  of  issue  of  the  license.   2-­‐If  licensee  uses  the  license  for  purposes  other  than  those  for  which  the  license  was  issued.   3-­‐If  licensee  violates  the  conditions  of  the  license.   4-­‐If   licensee   assigns   the   license   to   others   with   or   without   price   without   the   consent   of   the   Authority.   The   bylaw   specifies   the   cases   in   which   such   assignment   could   be   accepted.   The   Authority   shall   have   the   right   of   regular  review  of  these  licenses  in  accordance  with  the  system  prepared  for  this  purpose.  Based  on  justifiable   reasons,  the  license  may  be  renewed  once  for  a  period  of  3  months,  which  may  be  extended  in  the  event  of   persistence  of  such  reasons.’     Besides   the   provision   in   Article   38,   other   provisions   also   impose   conditions   for   losing   diversion   and   usufruct   rights.  Article  40,  for  instance,  states  that:  ‘the  Authority  may  cease  the  right  of  utilization  if  it  is  evident  that   the  water  of  the  well  or  the  water  installation  is  polluted,  thus  harmful  to  public  health  and  the  environment,   and   the   impossibility   of   treating   that   in   accordance   with   a   laboratory   report   by   the   competent   authority.’   Chapter  8  of  the  Water  Law  on  enforcement  procedures  sets  out  the  powers  of  the  Authority  to  intervene  in   certain  circumstances.       6.6    Water  use  rights  and  sharing  water   The  following  sections  discusses  the  regulations  that  are  imposed  on  the  water  diversion  and  usufruct  rights.   Four  elements  can  be  distinguished:  (1)  Priority  of  use,  (2)  Quantity  of  use,  (3)  Places  of  use  and  sharing  and  (4)   Burden-­‐sharing  among  users.     6.6.1    Priority  of  use     Shari’ah   gives   first   priority   to   water   for   drinking   and   domestic   purposes.   Within   this   priority   a   hierarchy   is   present   starting   with   water   for   human   drinking,   followed   by   water   for   animal   drinking   and   water   for   domestic   50 purposes.  Denying  to  share  water  according  to  this  hierarchy  is  often  regarded  as  a  sin  or  haram.  After  the   priority  for  drinking  and  domestic  purposes,