1st All India Annual State Ministers Conference on Water @Bhopal plans to outline Water Vision@2047

• Water Vision@2047 is part of PM’s India@2047 plan
• Thematic sessions at the conference to focus on water security, water usage efficiency, water governance, water infrastructure and warer quality
• State Ministers of Water Resources, Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) and Irrigation from all States/ UTs of the country will participate

Bhopal: The Government of India is deliberating on the preparation of the Action Plan and Vision Document of India@2047 as part of the Prime Minister’s clarion call of making India a Developed Nation by 2047. While addressing the challenges of water security as part of the India@2047 plan, the Hon’ble Prime Minister has proclaimed the ‘5P’ mantra which includes Political will, Public financing, Partnerships, Public Participation and Persuasion for sustainability.

To take forward this action plan, the Ministry of Jal Shakti is organizing the “1st All India Annual State Ministers Conference on Water’’ with the theme “Water Vision@2047” in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh on 5^th & 6^th January, 2023. The primary objective of the 20day Conference is to gather inputs for the India@2047 and 5P vision from the different water stakeholders of the states, water being a state subject, and also to improve engagement and partnership with the states and to share the initiatives and schemes of the Ministry of Jal Shakti.

The Hon’ble Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and the Hon’ble Minister of Jal Shakti will grace the occasion. The Hon’ble Minister of State for Jal Shakti and Food Processing Industries too will be present during the event. The State Ministers of Water Resources, Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) and Irrigation from all States/ UTs of the country have been invited to prepare a blue print of Vision@2047 and to prepare a road map to address the water problems of the country.

The Senior Secretaries of Water Resources, Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) and Irrigation from all States/ UTs along with Agriculture Production Commissioners will also be attending the Conference. There will also be an exhibition where young innovators/ startups will showcase on new innovations in the water sector.

How the Conference will be Structured

The Conference will include one Plenary Session aimed at setting the agenda of the 2-day deliberation with focus on Water Vision@2047. In addition, the conference will have five thematic sessions viz.

1. Water Security in Water Deficit, Water Surplus and Hilly Regions;
2. Water Use Efficiency including Reuse of Waste Water/ Grey Water;
3. Water Governance;
4. Climate Change Resilient Water Infrastructure, and
5. Water Quality.

The 1^st Thematic Session addresses the challenge that India is a country of diverse topography and the same techniques cannot be applied to resolve the problems of the different parts of the country. Therefore, there is need to prioritize drinking water as well as water used in the agriculture sector. Special measures are required to be taken to address the issues in hilly areas and the rejuvenation of springs. Water budgeting is also an important aspect of water security and community participations assumes the core of success of all these measures. The Jal Jeevan Mission launched in 2019 has already provided 54% of tapwater connections to more than 104 million households.

The 2^nd Thematic Session focuses on the need of a robust solution when it comes to the mode of measurement of water resources. There is a need of developing annual measurement systems for water resources. Focus should be given on both demand and supply side management. To make the above objective a success, community involvement at the grass root level is very necessary.

The 3^rd Thematic aims at breaking the silos in the water sector by bringing various states together facilitated by the center. The water resource projects are planned, funded, executed and maintained by the state Governments themselves as per their own resources and priorities. The role of the Government of India is limited to being catalytic, providing technical support and in some cases partial financial assistance in terms of the existing schemes being implemented by the Ministry of Jal Shakti. There is a need to focus on the 4 Es of Water Governance i.e., Ecology, Equity, Efficiency and Economics.

The 4th Thematic Session addresses the present scenario of climate change in the country and the measures that need to be taken to reduce the effects of climate change. Basin-wise management, ways to increase storage capacity and focus on source sustainability are the measures that need to be taken to handle the effects of climate change efficiently.

The 5^th Thematic Session deals with the problems of water quality of drinking water, surface water and groundwater. Water be it from any source is getting polluted due to various ill practices. There is a need to tackle both health issues and water management together. Hygiene and water quality are invariably interdependent.

These 5 Thematic Sessions have been so devised so that all the stakeholders can together work towards the bigger vision of making India a Developed Nation by 2047. This can only happen with the support of all the stakeholders which will help to break the silos in the water sector for a greater good and a water secure future.