Udaipur: Inaugurating the 2nd All-India State Water Ministers' Conference in Udaipur on Tuesday, Union Minister of Jal Shakti CR Patil said that efforts are on to make India self-reliant in water by 2047.
The two-day conference is witnessing participating from Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, Tripura CM Manik Saha, Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi and several ministers and officials from the Central and state governments.
The conference was inaugurated with a traditional 'Jal Kalash' ceremony. Union Minister Patil said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is working on the vision of making India a water-reliant nation by 2047.
"The Prime Minister emphasised on cleanliness and 12 crore toilets were built, benefitting 60 crore people. This led to a significant reduction in serious diseases like diarrhea. Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, pure drinking water is now being provided to 15 crore households in the country. Nearly 25 lakh women have been trained and given kits to check water quality. Similarly, 'Catch the Rain' campaign is also being conducted for rainwater harvesting, in which migrant citizens are also contributing to groundwater recharge," Patil said.
The Union Minister further said the Ram Jal Setu project will ensure adequate supply of water to Rajasthan. By taking quick decision between Rajasthan and Haryana under the Yamuna Water Agreement, additional Yamuna water can be brought to Rajasthan, he added.
Addressing the conference, Rajasthan CM said that by adopting water conservation measures, the nation should move towards water self-sufficiency so that the younger generation can enjoy a prosperous future. He stressed that a well-organised roadmap is necessary to achieve the goal of becoming self-reliant in water.
Thanking the Union Minister for inaugurating the event, Sharma termed this as an excellent example of cooperative federalism. "Due to the tireless efforts of PM Modi, water has become a subject of coordination and cooperation among the states. Becoming self-reliant in water will play an important role in realising the dream of developed India by 2047. The Prime Minister has tried to provide tap water to every household under the Jal Jeevan Mission, which has benefited crores of people in Rajasthan. The state government is working fast to provide tap connections to the remaining families," he said.
Elaborating on the Ram Jal Setu Link project, Sharma said it is the lifeline of the state. Through this, irrigation facility will be available in 4 lakh hectares across 17 districts and drinking water will be available to more than 3 crore people, he said adding, under Karmabhoomi to Matribhoomi scheme, migrant workers are building groundwater recharge wells in 60,000 villages. "The state government is adopting various measures for water conservation that include encouraging crops that grow in less water, urban water management, use of modern techniques for purification and reuse of sewerage water, use of technology for monitoring water quality and sources," Sharma said.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Manjhi said that state's resposibility of water conservation has increased as many major rivers namely Mahanadi, Godavari, Narmada and Brahmaputra flow through this state. Odisha receives adequate rainfall, but its distribution is uneven, so flood control and water conservation projects have been given priority to achieve the goal of a water-reliant state, he said adding, women self-help groups are playing an important role in groundwater recharge.
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said nearly 70 percent of the state's area is forested and majority of the population depend on agriculture. "Tripura government is promoting irrigation projects, which can increase agricultural productivity and farmers' income. Given the limited water storage capacity, the possibilities of surface water based irrigation projects are less, so special attention is being given to the construction of rain water conservation structures and small irrigation dams," he said.
Karnataka deputy CM DK Shivakumar, Himachal Pradesh deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri, Chhattisgarh deputy CM Arun Saw, Union Water Resources secretary Debashree Mukherjee also participated at the conference.
He said under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, India is working towards ensuring water security by 2047. He said that Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari, a community-driven water conservation initiative has created one million artificial rainwater harvesting structures across india. The Jal Shakti Abhiyan- Catch the Rain initiative has completed over 1.67 crore water conservation projects, focused on reviving traditional water bodies.
The All-India State Water Ministers’ Conference is being held in Udaipur on February 18-19 to achieve water security and Viksit Bharat by 2047. The conference is being graced by 30 ministers and over 300 delegates from Central and state governments. A total of 35 presentations across six themes, five e-launches, and 15 video are being showcased on the occasion.
