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Stress on public, private partnership for water management

Special Correspondent

`Promote crops consuming less water'

JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has underlined the need for evolving an efficient model of public-private partnership for management of water resources and supply. She also said technological intervention was needed in the State to promote the crops consuming less water.

Inaugurating a seminar on "Water resources and future options" organised by the Central Board of Irrigation and Power (CBIP) here over the week-end, Ms. Raje said since the conservation of water was essentially linked with people's participation, the solutions to difficulties in the water sector should be searched within the communities.

"The Rajasthan Government launched the Jal Chetana Abhiyan recently precisely with this objective," she said.

Ms. Raje said the farmers growing good quantity of crops despite scarcity of water should be given remunerative prices in time. Besides, measures were needed to introduce modern technology in irrigation and encourage the farmers to take up water management at the farm level, she added.

State Water Resources Minister Sanwarlal Jat said the State Government had made the application of sprinkler irrigation system mandatory in the areas under the Narmada Project. He called upon the experts to recommend practical solutions to inter-State water disputes.

State Irrigation Secretary S.N. Thanvi said the initiatives taken in Rajasthan to popularise water harvesting structures and community supply of water as well as the Community and Business Alliance on Water launched with the help of the European Union had led to positive results.

CBIP president Rakesh Nath pointed out that the supply of safe drinking water was still the biggest challenge in the country, as there were 50,000 villages where potable water was not available. He said the drinking water supply was one of the important targets set in the "Bharat Nirman" programme.

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