January 30, 2002

'38'

TAKE UP RAINWATER HARVESTING IN SCIENTIFIC AND INTEGRATED MANNER –A. C. SETHI

    The Union Minister for Water Resources, Shri Arjun Charan Sethi has called for rainwater harvesting in a more scientific and integrated manner, a practice which has been adopted in our country since ancient times through individual as well as community efforts. He said that to fulfil the growing demand of water, the on-going projects for water storage have to be completed within the given time-frame. Shri Sethi was inaugurating here today the 4^th Water Asia 2002 – an International Conference and Exhibition on Asian Water Industry.

    Describing water shortage as a global phenomenon, the Minister said that per capita availability of water has gone down from 5300 cu m in 1965 to about 1829 cu m and is likely to fall below 1150 cu m by the year 2050. As increasing population has put the water resources under great pressure especially in the developing world, it is more than necessary to conserve, preserve and develop water resources for the survival of humankind. Water resource development is a multi-disciplinary process and thus an integrated approach should be adopted. At the same time, water saving measures have to be taken up in a big way and minimise all kinds of losses in transportation and application. Prevention of water contamination and recharging of ground water are also other areas of concern which need immediate attention, Shri Sethi emphasised.

    Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, Shri B.N.Navalawala and Chairman, HUDCO, Shri V. Suresh also addressed the Conference.