Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday highlighted the importance of the first All India Conference of Water Ministers of the country by shining a light on the unprecedented work done by India in areas
of water security.
The Prime Minister pointed out that in India’s constitutional system, the subject of water comes under the control of the states and it is the states’ efforts for water conservation that will go a long way in achieving the collective goals of the country. “Water Vision @ 2047 is an important dimension of the journey of Amrit Kaal for the next 25 years”, the Prime Minister remarked.
eiterating his vision of ‘whole of government’ and ‘whole of the country’ the Prime Minister emphasised that all governments should work like a system wherein there should be constant interaction and dialogue between different ministries of state governments, such as the Ministry of Water, Ministry of Irrigation, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Rural and Urban Development and disaster management.
He further added that planning will get help if these departments have information and data related to each other.
Noting that success does not come from the efforts of the government alone, the Prime Minister drew attention to the role of public and social organisations and civil societies and asked for their maximum participation in the campaigns related to water conservation.
“The biggest advantage of public participation is the awareness that is created among the public about the efforts being put into the campaign and the money being spent. When the public is associated with a campaign, they also get to know the seriousness of the work. Due to this, a sense of ownership also comes in the public towards any scheme or campaign”, he added.
The Prime Minister informed that the country is constructing 75 Amrit Sarovars in every district wherein 25,000 Amrit Sarovars have already been built so far.
He emphasised the need to connect technology, industry, and startups to identify problems and find solutions and mentioned technologies like geo-sensing and geo-mapping that can be of great help.
He also stressed the need to come up with government policies and bureaucratic procedures to tackle water-related issues at the policy levels.
Highlighting the success of ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’ as a major development parameter for a state to provide water to every household, the Prime Minister remarked that many states have done a good job while many states are moving forward in this direction.
He recommended that once this system is in place we should ensure its maintenance in the same way in the future. He proposed that Gram Panchayats should lead the Jal Jeevan Mission, and after the work is completed, they should also certify that sufficient and clean water has been made available.
“Every Gram Panchayat can also submit a monthly or quarterly report online stating the number of houses that are getting tap water in the village.” He also added that a system of periodic water testing should also be developed to ensure the quality of water.
He also called for attention to the conservation of all local sources of water and reiterated that Gram Panchayats should prepare an action plan for the next 5 years where a roadmap ranging from water supply to cleanliness and waste management should be considered.
