Government to launch water conservation initiative in January

NEW DELHI: The Centre today announced that it will launch an initiative, titled 'Hamara Jal - Hamara Jeewan', in every district of the country during India Water Week, 2015 - from January 13 to 17 - in a bid to create awareness on water conservation and planning.

Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharati said that the initiative will engage scientists, engineers, water communities, PRIs, NGOs and other stakeholders to address the issues of water resource planning at the local level and to generate awareness regarding need for water conservation.

'Hamara Jal - Hamara Jeewan' initiative will be observed in every district of the country during India Water Week - 2015 (January 13 to 17, 2015), a statement here said.

Announcing the initiative during a video conference with the principal secretaries of water resources and irrigation of various states here, Bharati said that a one-day workshop will be organised in every district to find indigenous solutions for meeting water-related demands and a future roadmap to manage water for growth.

"Each district as an administrative unit is proposed to be targeted for organising the event which will be a part of the central sector IEC scheme for highlighting the importance and generating awareness about water conservation," she said.

During the workshop, it is planned to prepare a profile of each district covering its source of water, utilization for various uses and constraint, possible local solutions for meeting the unsatisfied demands and future roadmap to manage water for growth, the statement said.

The recommendations received during the deliberations of the workshop will also be used for preparation of an overview of state-level recommendations, which would enable the ministry to utilise the same for policy making, it added.

The minister also said that participation from school students will be an integral part of the programme for sensitising the next generation for water conservation.

This will also spread awareness regarding the need to conserve water in the light of growing water scarcity, the statement added.