The value of irrigation is in availability of water and water security is required for food security and agriculture for the development of nation, said Prof. Saifuddin Soz, Minister of Water Resources, Government of India at the meeting organised by The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) to mark the World Water Day here on Thursday.

A bill has been passed in all the states of India, except Punjab to initiate water harvesting and making in mandatory in possible areas, said the minister. Water table has gone down in more than seven states of India and other states will also face similar problem if corrective measures are not taken immediately, he added. 

Prof. Soz said that India gets hundred hours of rainfall across the country and optimum use of water should be the focus. He announced that Ministry of Water Resources will sanction fund to CII to initiate training on water harvesting.

Dr. N G Hegde, President and Managing Trustee, BAIF said that there is acute shortage of water due to excessive use of water and population as a whole. Rural areas in certain parts of the country might turn into dessert without availability of water and proper tree plantation, he mentioned.

Kitchen water harvesting is very important, said Mr. Niranjan Khatri, General Manager, Welcomenviron Initiatives ITC and Member of CII Water Committee. The used water of kitchen can be re-used for sanitation and gardening, he added. He suggested introduction of a cost-effective kit which can be used in rural as well as urban localities to save water in agricultural lands and gardens.

Atul Singh, President & CEO, Coca-Cola India, said the company is committed to refresh the lives of communities on an every day, all day basis. As part of the same strategy, sustainable water management remains company's top priority and will continue to find innovative solutions in all areas of water management through integrated strategy, he mentioned. Mr. Singh said that from 2000 onwards the company has taken the lead in improving water use efficiency by nearly 30% in their operations across India.

CII and Coca-Cola India had also organized a day-long programme with  children from schools of Delhi to create awareness on water conservation. Over 250 children from government and public schools participated in the event which started with a “Walk” and included slogan writing and painting competition based on “Water” as theme, the CII release said. 

Sourced From: Confederation of Indian Industry