AIR Spotlight: Water Vision@2047

AIR Spotlight is an insightful program featured daily on the All India Radio News on air. In this program, many eminent panellists discuss issues of importance which can be quite helpful in IAS exam preparation.

This article is about the discussion on ‘Water Vision@2047- An important dimension of the journey of Amrit Kaal’.

Participants: 

1. A.B. Pandya, Former Chairman, Central Water Commission
2. Rajesh Lekh, AIR Correspondent

Introduction:

• The First All India Annual State Minister Conference on Water was held on the 5th and 6th of January 2023 at Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
• It is being held to deliberate upon Water Vision@2047.
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi said during the conference that the government’s efforts towards water conservation are not enough and people’s participation is of utmost importance in this direction. He further highlighted that a new chapter of Jan Bhagidari (Public Participation) is required with multiple stakeholders from all sections of society.
• The campaigns related to water conservation should involve people, social organizations, civil societies, etc.

For more information on the conference, read here: PIB Summary for UPSC Exam for 5th Jan 2023

Significance of the Water Sector:

• Water is one of the most crucial resources that should be managed in order to make progress.
• To make India a developed nation by 2047, Prime Minister Modi is deliberating on the preparation of an action plan – Vision Document of India 2047.
• Water is also the most vulnerable resource from the Climate Change adaptation point of view.
• It should be ensured that the fundamental resource is available in an equitable, efficient and timely manner to all the sectors of the economy.
• Water is not only important in mobilizing other resources but also in ensuring integrity and social harmony.

First All India Annual State Ministers’ Conference on Water:

• The primary objective of the conference is to establish a platform on which all the issues pertaining to water-related aspects can be discussed. Moreover, various practices and water conservation strategies prevailing in different parts of the country can be assimilated.
• It should be remembered that water is a common good and thus collective deployment and management of water is significant for India.
• The Ministers of Water Resources, Public Health, Engineering Department, and Irrigation departments were invited to the conference. They will prepare a blueprint of Water Vision@2047.
• A roadmap to address the issues of water was also deliberated during the conference.
• The conference intends to gather inputs for India@2047.
• Water is a state subject and the conference will also provide a platform for all the stakeholders to improve engagement and partnership and share the various initiatives and schemes of the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
• The conference was significant as states not only have their internal water resource but are also dependent on the other states. So the conference will ensure cooperation among various states. It will also help in reducing inter-state water disputes.
• The Prime Minister also referred to the 5 Ps in water conservation which are:
  • Political Will
  • Public Financing
  • Partnership
  • Public Participation
  • Persuasion for Sustainability
• All the 5Ps are equally important for the conservation of water. For instance,
  • Unless there is a political will, sharing of water is not possible because societies have to be moulded so that they perceive that they are getting the just share of their water requirements.
  • Similarly, large-scale project deployment requires a very large amount of public financing. The public financing for the water sector has been decreasing as a percentage of India’s GDP for a long time.
  • Since water is a fundamental necessity of every living being, public participation and partnership are crucial dimensions.

Five Thematic Sessions of the Conference and their Significance:

• Water Security: 
  • Water security is a very holistic concept in which it has to be ensured that water is made available to all sectors in the required quality and quantity.
  • It should also be noted that water is also a cause of disaster in various places and might result in large-scale destruction.
  • Water security thus needs to be efficiently managed considering its multiple sources and multiple usages.
• Water use efficiency including re-use of wastewater and grey water:
  • The quantity of water is quite limited and with increasing demand, it should be efficiently managed.
  • In Urban and Peri-Urban areas, the reuse of water becomes very important, as more uses can be done from the same quantity of water.
  • India wastes about 4 Billion Cubic meters of water every year. This wastewater not only depletes the environment but also creates shortages in various places.
• Water Governance:
  • It aims to break the silo approach of water conservation and ensures a cooperative approach among all the states facilitated by the Centre.
  • It is a set of principles that everybody should build appropriate strategies and implement them effectively.
  • Political leadership is an important element in this theme as it can ensure proper and seamless implementation and governance.
• Reduce the effect of Climate Change:
  • Climate change is a reality in the present scenario and India is at the forefront of dealing with this issue.
  • Various adaptation and amelioration approaches should be adopted to deal with the climate change aspect.
  • If climate change hampers the water resources, it will create repercussions for the economy and even disturb the social fabric.
  • In order to make climate change resilience possible it is important to invest in better operation and maintenance of water infrastructure.
• Water Quality:
  • For enhancing the water quality, it is necessary to enhance the capacities of local bodies as the urban and peri-urban centres are the largest emitter of poor-quality water.
  • As industrialization grows, the requirement, as well as the poor quality of water, is likely to increase and thus appropriate measures need to be in place to deal with the upcoming challenges.
• Apart from the above five themes, innovation is another aspect which should be given adequate support as technology is at the heart of the progress in ensuring proper management of water resources in the country.

Read previous AIR Spotlight articles in the link.

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