INVC NEWS
New Delhi,
Expressing concern over the fast depletion of ground water level in the country Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Sushri Uma Bharti has called for serious efforts towards better ground water management. Inaugurating Bhujal Manthan-II, a National Seminar on Aquifer Mapping and Ground Water Management in New Delhi today the Minister sought close cooperation of Union Ministries of Rural Development, Agriculture and Environment towards this task. The Minister also announced setting up of a committee under the Chairmanship of Secretary of Water Resources to suggest ways to conserve fast depleting ground water levels through aquifer recharge. The committee will also have Secretaries of Union Ministries of Rural Development, Environment and Agriculture as members. The committee has been asked to submit its report within a month. Sushri Bharti said the Government plans to complete aquifer mapping across the country in the next three years. She said Government plans to recharge ground water on priority basis in dark blocks of the country where ground water has been over exploited.
Referring to the success achieved by Israel in water management the Minister said, “62 per cent of water used by Israel is treated water. Why can’t we follow it? We too can do it.” Quoting the example of Hiware Bazar of Maharashtra and Seenchewal of Punjab, Sushri Bharti said a beginning has been made in our country also towards better water conservation. But she stressed the need for making water conservation a national movement with large scale public participation. She said, “It will not be possible to make this movement a success without large scale participation of every section of the society”.
Expressing concern over inter state water disputes, the Minister urged for a National prospective. She said, “It should be the endeavour of every concerned state to think more about the other side. Odisha should think more about Chhattisgarh and similarly Chhattisgarh about Odisha. Similarly Tamil Nadu should be more concerned about Karnataka and vice-versa. By this way only we would be able to promote national integration and unity.
Earlier speaking on the occasion, Union Rural Development, Panchayatiraj, Drinking Water & Sanitation Minsiter Shri Narendra Singh Tomar expressed concern over the unhindered exploitation of natural resources in the country. He said time has come when we should realize our mistake and think of conserving water for future generations.
About 1,000 experts in various fields related to ground water development, management and governance, academicians, NGOs and other stakeholders attended the seminar. The inaugural session was followed by five technical sessions on various issues related to ground water resources management. The first Bhujal Manthan was held in Kurukshetra in Haryana last year.
