Shri Venkaiah Naidu call for a five pronged strategy to meet water demand

Stresses on judicious use and inter-linking of rivers

Minister of Urban Development Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu has expressed serious concern on water scarcity in the country and suggested a five pronged strategy to ensure adequate water for drinking and irrigation needs. Addressing the Plenary Session of 'India Water Week - 2015', a four-day international conference organized by the Ministry of Water Resources, Shri Naidu suggested the following strategy for implement it on priority basis.

(1) Create awareness among the people about the need for judicious use of and conservation of water

(2) Inter-linking of rivers (Ganga - Cauvery)

(3) Recycling and re-use of water

(4) Rain water harvesting

(5) Desalination plants for use of salt water

Shri Venkaiah Naidu said water is a scarce resource and every drop of available water needs to be conserved. Stressing on the need to make rain water harvesting mandatory, the Minister said, he intended to recommend to the States to make it a mandatory provision while approving construction plans. He highlighted the need to have check dams at various levels in rural areas.

Referring to the possibility of conflicts over water resources across the globe, Shri Naidu called for international cooperation to meet water demand. He said, India has a population of about 17% of the world but only 4% of water resources. In urban areas, while the requirement is 135 litres. per person per day, only about 70 litres are being provided.

Mr. Naidu said that Water Resources Minister Ms. Uma Bharati is very focussed on rejuvenation of Ganga and linking of rivers hoped that these laudable goals of the Government would be realised. He felt that the people have to be educated about the advantages of river linking schemes. He recalled that the inter-linking scheme was enunciated and a task force was set up under Shri Suresh Prabhu's leadership during the Vajpayeeji's regime and that the scheme was found technically suitable and financially viable. He said the scheme would take care of the long term needs of the people and also address the issues of floods, droughts and shortage of drinking water.

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