MUMBAI: Government authorities, policymakers, and water experts have called for sustainable approaches in water management to meet the water needs of the present without compromising the future ability to provide the same capacity and quality of water. They were taking part at the second edition of the ‘Jal Jeevan Conclave’ organised by the Integrated Health and Wellbeing Council. The experts also lauded the government-run ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’ and termed it a game-changing initiative to provide safe and adequate drinking water to every rural household by the year 2024. The water partner for the event was Schneider Electric and the supporting partners were Brahmaputra Board, National Water Development Agency, National Institute of Urban Affairs, Faridabad Smart City Limited, Agra Smart City Limited, District Administration of Bhandara respectively.
“54% of India faces a high to extremely high water crisis and there are many factors in play from climate change, improving living water standards, changing consumption patterns etc. India, also being home to nearly 1.4 billion people, the water crisis is a huge issue. So, there is a growing need to consider sustainable approaches to water conservation to address both the immediate and future needs,” said Dr Lior Asaf, Water Attaché at the Israel Embassy in New Delhi.
“India needs to have in place a robust self-sufficient water system model like Israel. 90% of Israel’s wastewater is treated for further use and, given India’s population is 150 times bigger than Israel and is an agricultural-based economy, this is a must,” he added.
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Calling the government-run ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’ a huge success, in terms of fulfilling the commitment to provide safe and adequate water supply to millions of rural households, Rajiv Yadav, Chairman, Brahmaputra Board, Government of India, said, “The Jal Jeevan Mission has truly been a game-changing initiative. In fact, it is extremely challenging to initiate such initiatives in a country which has a massive population of nearly 1.4 billion people. But, the government has been immensely successful but we have a long way to go.”
Exuding confidence on the government’s target to ensure every rural household has access to safe and adequate drinking water by 2024, Avinash Misra, Advisor (Water, Tourism, Culture, Panchayati Raj & land), NITI Aayog, Government of India, said, “One of the key goals of sustainable development is to ensure every citizen of a country has access to safe and adequate drinking water. The Government of India has been immensely successful in achieving that goal through its Jal Jeevan Mission, I am extremely confident that rural households of this country will have access to tap water connections by 2024, as per the government’s target.”
As the conclave also focused on the ‘Urban & Rural Challenges of Safe Drinking Water Supply”, with many Indian cities and rural centres bearing the brunt of acute water crisis, especially during the peak summer season, experts have said that it is technology that can play a pivotal role in mitigating the crisis.
Throwing light on the same, Arkul Sudesh Shenoy, Segment Head, Water and Wastewater, said, “It has been estimated by the WWF, that by 2030, 30 Indian cities will be at risk of a severe water crisis and, according to the World Bank, India will lose 6% of its GDP due to poor water management. Therefore, to mitigate this impending crisis, modern technology and related ecosystems are poised to play a huge role. Take for instance, wastewater management by involving the use of technology. A relatively simple wastewater treatment technology can be designed to provide low cost sanitation and environmental protection while providing additional security as far as water conservation is concerned. The fact how Singapore treats 90% of its wastewater is a perfect example for a nation like ours to consider.”
“There are a number of water-surplus states in India like Assam, Uttarakhand. But, if we consider the bigger picture, there is a bigger threat. Therefore, resorting to a sustainable water management model is extremely crucial to tackle the acute water crisis, be it drinking water, agricultural water or water needed for industrial works. But, more than that, it is the duty of every citizen to curb daily waste and misuse of water even if we pay for it,” said Akash Deep, Commissioner & Secretary, Public Health & Engineering Department and Mission Director, Jal Jeevan Mission, Government of Assam.
“Ensuring safe, clean water to every household is more of a responsibility, especially at a time, when Indians are standing at a real inflection point of a water crisis of an unprecedented scale.From just one in five rural households in 2019 to over 19 crores rural households now having access to safe and adequate drinking water across the country, the Government of India, through its ambitious game-changing Jal Jeevan Mission initiative, is well on its course to achieve universal access water and sanitation. Although we have a long way to go, the government through its eagerness and determination has proved once again that providing safe and adequate drinking water to every household by 2024 is not at all a mountain of a task,” said Kamal Narayan Omer, CEO, IHW Council.
The second edition of the Jal Jeevan Conclave also focused on some of the critical areas related to water issues and management such as, impact of clean water in fighting water borne diseases and the need for innovative solutions and technology for public water supply infrastructure.
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