Effective water management needed to meet demand: Scientist

Amid rising demand for water and depleting reserves, a senior scientist and member of the Atomic Energy Commission today said strong political will and effective water management are key to countering the problem.
Anil Kokodkar, who was the Secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy, said maintaining quantity and quality of water in rivers and reservoirs is one of the biggest challenges which the country is facing and advocated use of technology as well as connecting of rivers to address the issue.
Kakodkar said technology is now available wherein 3D pictures could be used to map water resources, which can help in better planning of resources.

Highlighting examples where better water management techniques have helped villages to deal with droughts in several parts of Maharashtra, Kakodkar said "political will" is must to address the issue.
"A lot of grassroot examples should be allowed to flourish," Kakodkar said.
He also stressed on the importance of real time monitoring of water resources and its quality in taking appropriate measures at the local level.