Govt initiates cost-effective steps to combat water crises

NEW DELHI: With the shortage of drinking water becoming a problem, Union Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz on Thursday advocated the need for the association of users and stakeholders in water conservation.

"Management of water resources must incorporate a participatory approach, by involving users and stakeholders, along with the governmental agencies," the minister said at an international conference on 'Global Water Solutions: Sharing innovations' here.

For the better management of resources, he said users and stakeholders should be involved in various aspects of planning, design, development and management of the water resources schemes.

Noting that the Centre has initiated various innovative "cost-effective" technologies to meet the future challenges, he said, "there have been gradual changes in the process of planning, design and management of water resources.

"The Ministry of Water Resources have initiated and promoted various technologies to combat water crises situation in the country," he said.

Apart from being innovative, these technologies are cost-effective too, he said.

The government has initiated many projects wherein "the rural and semi-urban population have been made aware about the usefulness of water conservation" by adopting traditional means like "rain water harvesting, including roof-top rainwater harvesting".

"We must harvest every drop of water," said Soz. Inter-basin transfers, artificial recharge of ground water and desalination of brackish or sea water are some of the technologies the government is looking into, Soz added.