The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, inaugurated the 6th India Water Week-2019, today (September 24, 2019) at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi. The theme of the India Water Week-2019 is ‘Water Cooperation – Coping with 21st Century Challenges’ and it is being organised by the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, the Ministry of Jal Shakti. 

Speaking on the occasion, the President said that cooperation between different stakeholders is critical, if we are to face the challenges concerning water effectively. Water issues are too multi-faceted and complex to be solved by only the government or just one nation. All nations and their water communities have to come together to help build a water sustainable future for all. 

The President said that we often talk of reducing our “carbon-footprint”.  It is time we talk to reducing our “water-footprint” as well. Our farmers, corporate leaders and government bodies need to actively consider the “water-footprint’’ of different crops and industries. We need to encourage agricultural and industrial practices that have the least water-footprint.   

The President said that managing and mapping ground-water resources is also an important aspect of water governance. The widespread use of boring machines has led to unregulated and excessive exploitation of ground-water. We have to value our ground-water and be responsible. We have to ensure that our precious rainwater does not get wasted. We need to store and capture our rainwater by utilizing our existing reservoirs, dams, other water bodies and by adopting water harvesting measures in our homes and neighbourhoods. 

The President said that while we seek solutions to address different water-related issues, we should not lose sight of our age-old methods of conserving water. A blending of our traditional knowledge with modern technologies and techniques can help us become a water secure nation. He called upon all stakeholders to pledge to achieve water-related goals with robust cooperation among all states, public and private organisations and people. He said that over the past five years, the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan saw participation of people from all strata of society as well as organisations, who took responsibility and made it their personal mission. We all need to show the same dedication and commitment towards Jal Shakti Abhiyan. 

The President said that the ‘National Mission for Clean Ganga’ entails numerous projects to ensure the continuous and unpolluted flow of the Ganga. He emphasized that making Ganga and our other rivers clean cannot be a mission of the Government alone. It has to be our collective endeavour and our collective promise. He said that as citizens we must contribute to this cause. For instance, we recently celebrated Ganesh Chaturthi and Navratras are a few days away. We need to ensure that the idols of deities immersed in the rivers are made of environment-friendly materials. It will help keep the rivers clean and ensure the safety of marine life.

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VRRK/SH