Mahabalipuram: The ‘All India Secretaries’ conference on ‘Water Vision@2047-Way Ahead’ concluded on Wednesday at Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, with a primary focus on reinforcing the nation’s water security. The two-day event saw participation from 32 states and Union Territories, with 30 secretaries and over 300 delegates actively contributing to the discussions.
The conference addressed the 22 recommendations put forth during the ‘1st All India Annual State Ministers Conference on Water’ held in January 2023 in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. These recommendations emphasised prioritising drinking water, climate resilience, efficient water utilisation, water storage, technology application, interlinking rivers, flood management, and enhanced people’s participation.
Divided into five thematic sessions, the first day covered topics such as Climate Resilience & River Health and Water Governance. Minister of Jal Shakti, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, chaired a ministerial session, stressing the importance of collaboration and innovation for sustainable water management. He also reaffirmed the commitment to strengthen the Centre-state partnership for water security goals.
On the second day, three thematic sessions delved into ‘Water use efficiency,’ ‘Water Storage & Management,’ and ‘People’s Participation/Jan Bhagidari.’ IAS officer Archana Verma, AS & MD, National Water Mission, presented the key takeaways from the conference, which are as follows:
Climate Resilience & River Health
Climate change demands the implementation of resilient infrastructure and non-structural measures. It underscores the importance of using state-of-the-art technology for accurate weather prediction and assessing the impact on water resources.
Water Governance
In ensuring effective water governance, each state is urged to establish a Water Resources Regulatory Authority and develop a comprehensive State Water Policy. Additionally, the creation of River Basin Plans and State Water Informatics Centres aligned with NWIC is deemed essential for robust water management.
Water Use Efficiency
Optimising water use efficiency is paramount. This involves the judicious utilisation of existing projects, the promotion of micro-irrigation, and the initiation of water accounting initiatives. Recommendations include fostering convergence between minor and major irrigation, along with incentivising farmers for adopting changes in crop patterns.
Water Storage and Management
Enhancing water storage is identified as a critical aspect of water management. This necessitates the implementation of large and small storage projects, efficient dredging, and appropriate catchment area treatment. The promotion of interventions such as buffer storage tanks and artificial recharge to groundwater is also highlighted.
Jan Bhagidari/People’s Participation
Fostering people’s participation is integral to effective water management. This involves empowering farmers through the establishment of Water User Associations and encouraging community involvement. Stakeholder engagement, youth participation, and a bottom-up planning approach are strongly recommended for successful water governance.
The event’s second day saw several dignitaries like Dr Ketaki Bapat, RuTAG, IIT Delhi; TK Sivarajan, Chief engineer, C&SRO, CWC; K. A. Patel, Secretary, WRD, Government of Gujarat; Rakesh Kashyap, Sr. Joint Commissioner, NHP, MoJS; IAS Hitesh Kumar S Makwana, SGI; Dr Dharmendra Gill, Engineer-in-Chief (Project), Jal Vibhag; Dr Radhakrishnan, Tamil Nadu; IAS Prabhat Mishra, Principal Secretary, WRI&DD, West Bengal; Dr Sanjay Belsare, Secretary, CAD, WRD, Maharashtra; IAS Kailash Karthik, MD, JJM, Assam; Pritesh R, Chief Engineer (Irrigation & Administration), Kerala Government; IAS officer Dharmalasree, Director, Ground Water Dept., Kerala; IAS officer Dr Shakil P Ahmed, ACS, Meghalaya;
Participants proposed creating an action group of secretaries to drive the Water Vision@2047 agenda through continuous dialogue and deliberations.
