Niti Aayog plans index to rate states on water conservation

Government think tank Niti Aayog plans to come out with an index to rate states on initiatives taken by them to conserve water resources.
"Niti Aayog has drafted a Water Management Index like earlier Ease of Doing Business index," Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said at an event organised by CII and CNBC TV18 today.
"The challenge of water management is the biggest challenge. We are making states to compete on water management," Kant added.
Noting that we have converted vast areas of Haryana, Delhi into desert, the Niti Aayog CEO said, "We need to do comprehensive planning to conserve and recycle water and create model for the rest."

Emphasising that states must focus on sustainable development, Kant said, "Niti Aayog is also supporting 10 states in conserving renewable energy."
He also noted that the Aayog is also supporting states in conversion of waste into energy.

Pointing out that in the next 5-6 decades, 500 million Indians would be getting into urbanisation, Kant said.
When America did urbanisation, land, gas were cheaper, the Niti Aayog CEO said, adding that "but when India will start process of urbanisation, it will neither have enough water, gas nor sufficient land."
"So my view is that it is important to tap natural resources but do this in extremely sustainable manner," Kant stressed.