The Hindu : National : Manmohan for more rational use of water

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 12, 2007
ePaper

National

National

Manmohan for more rational use of water

Gargi Parsai

Lauds the “impressive example” in Chennai

— Photo: S. Subramanium

Conservation effort: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, flanked by Union Minister for Water Resources Safiddiun Soz (right) and Minister of State for Water Resources Jay Prakash Narayann Yadav, inaugurates the National Congress on Groundwater in New Delhi on Tuesday.

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday said the government could not continue to subsidise the economic and commercial use of water.

Inaugurating the first-ever National Congress on Groundwater, organised by the Union Ministry of Water Resources, Dr. Singh said: “Providing free power to farmers has encouraged excessive use of pump sets and excessive drawal of groundwater. If there is economic pricing of power, there would be some incentive for conserving groundwater. Water conservation and management can be better served through appropriate incentives and penalties.”

Calling for a paradigm shift in dealing with water management, he said for economic use of water, especially in irrigation, construction and other sectors, the importance of efficient, economical and more rational use of water was necessary.

Warning against threats to sources of water supply from climate change and global warming, he said there was a real prospect of reduced water supply.

“This threat is of particular concern to us in India, as we have, times immemorial, depended on glaciers for our water supply in this part of the sub-continent,” he pointed out.

“It is life”

Observing that water was life, he said that human beings had not done enough to replenish, conserve and safeguard water supply sources for their equitable, efficient and environmentally friendly use.

He lauded the “impressive example” of neighbourhood-based strategy in Chennai, where every locality, neighbourhood and town should have rainwater harvesting facility.

Various agencies, including panchayats, have a role in groundwater recharge, renovation and maintenance of water bodies. “The National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme provides a unique opportunity to mobilise people for this purpose.”

Union Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz announced a “Dug Well Recharge” scheme that was being launched in hard rock areas of seven States, including Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu this year.

The scheme would provide sustainability to groundwater sources and benefit small and marginal farmers.

Mr. Soz said the Ministry had instituted a “National Water Award” and 18 “Bhoomijal Samvardhan Puraskars”.

The first winner of the National Award of Rs. 10 lakh is Popatrao Pawar of Hewre Bazar village in Maharashtra.

President presents awards

Giving away the awards, President Pratibha Patil called for a movement to make children “water literate” and to create a massive awareness on the need to use water wisely.

Rajya Sabha member M.S. Swaminathan focused on the deteriorating quality of groundwater due to pollution and rapidly lowering groundwater table.

Need for movement

He said: “The water crisis we are experiencing in some parts of the country is more related to water management than to water scarcity. Therefore, we need a massive water literacy movement, education and social mobilisation and regulation in the form of mandatory water harvesting and aquifer recharge as prepared by the National Commission on Farmers for sustainable water security.”

Sunita Narain of the Centre for Science and Environment advocated shifting from over-emphasis on surface water to groundwater strategies, particularly “repairing the relationship between land and water.”

The former Water Resources Secretary, Ramaswamy Iyer, called for regulation of groundwater.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National