Hyderabad: Call for a comprehensive policy to address water demands

Hyderabad: The Centre for Natural Resource Management, Climate Change & Disaster Management (CNRM, CC & DM), NIRDPR organised a national webinar on "Water Policy Since Independence-Implications for Rural India" to commemorate 75 years of independence "Azadi Ka Amrit Mahostav".

Inaugurating the webinar, Dr G Narendra Kumar, Director-General, NIRDPR, said that the country has more than 18 per cent of the world's population, only four per cent of world's renewable water resources and 2.4 per cent of world's land area.

There are further limits on utilizable quantities of water owing to uneven distribution over time and space. In addition, there are challenges of frequent floods and droughts in one or the other part of the country.

He emphasised the need for a comprehensive policy to address the issues of water demands in water-stressed areas, governance issues on management of water resources, temporal and spatial variation in availability of water due to climate change, access to safe and clean drinking water, judicious utilisation of ground water and minimising water pollution. He highlighted on the model practices adopted by different States on water conservation.

G Asok Kumar, Additional Secretary & Mission Director, National Water Mission, as the guest of honour, highlighted priorities of the government to address critical issues on water conservation and its efficient use, as per the national water policy, to secure livelihood of rural households and boosting rural economy.

He discussed roles of multiple stakeholders like government departments, rural local bodies, farmers and community-based institutions to promote water security in water-stressed areas. He enlightened the participants on "catch the rain" campaign and suggested the way forward for rural areas in addressing the pressing needs of irrigation and drinking water.

Dr Anamika Barua, Professor, IIT Guwahati, in his keynote address presented the gap between development of water resources and various policy efforts since independence. She expressed ray of hope in redrafting the National Water Policy with rigorous consultation process among various stakeholders on multi-disciplinary and inter-sect oral approach by integrating other critical issues of water management, like gender and sustainable development goals.

She emphasised the need to have an evidence-based futuristic water policy

The webinar was organised by the team of faculties of CNRM, CC & DM of NIRDPR, Hyderabad led by Prof Ravindra Gavali, head of the centre. As many as 148 participants from different walks of life like officials, academicians, experts and civil societies working in water management participated.