Year 2013 - Water Conservation Year
Water is a natural
resource, fundamental to life, livelihood, food security and sustainable
development. It is also a scarce resource. India has more than 18 percent of
the world’s population, but has only 4 percent of world’s renewable water
resources with 2.4 percent of world’s land area. There are further limits on
utilizable quantities of water owing to uneven distribution over time, as 75
percent of annual rainfall is received in just four months. Also
region wise it varies from 10 cm rainfall in Rajasthan to 1000 cm in North
Eastern Region. In addition, there are challenges of frequent floods and
droughts in one or the other part of the country. With a growing population and
rising needs of a fast developing nation as well as the given indicators of the
impact of climate change, per capita availability of water is likely to go down
from 1545 cubic metre/yr, in 2011 to 1341 cubic metre/yr, in 2025. The
increasing demand of water for various purposes will further strain with the
possibility of deepening water conflicts among different user groups as
drinking water need is going to rise by 44 percent, irrigation need by 10
percent, industry need by 81 percent respectively by 2025.
In
view of this, the Ministry of Water Resources prepared the National Water
Policy (2012), which was adopted by the National Water Resources Council headed
by the Prime Minister on Dec. 28, 2012. This takes cognizance of the
existing situation and proposed a framework for creation of a system of laws
and institutions and a plan of action with a unified national
perspective. The major concern is of the increasing demand
which is leading to growing water stress and causing conflicts among citizens /
societies as a result of over usage or diversion of water and due to
competition amongst different users. Hence, there is a need for greater
awareness on water conservation for optimal usage of the existing resources.
Water Conservation is
also the key objective of the National Water Mission which is one of the eight National
Missions under the National Action Plan for Climate Change. This
envisages conservation,minimizing wastage and ensuring more equitable
distribution of water resources both across and within States through
integrated water resources development and management.
The
effective water resources management must be underpinned by knowledge and
understanding of the availability of the resource itself, the uses to which
water is put and the challenges facing the users of water at all levels of
stake holders. This can be done by creating mass awareness on the
measures that can be taken to address the challenges affecting every living
being.
Implementation
A number of mass awareness activities will be undertaken during
Water Conservation Year – 2013 with emphasis on sensitizing the masses on water
related issues, encourage them to conserve and use it judiciously.
The policies and programmes of the Ministry of Water
Resources will be propagated to create a sustainable society and economy.
An effective and sustained mass awareness programme will
be launched with the involvement of all stakeholders to achieve the objectives
identified in the National Water Policy, 2012 and National Water Mission.
The multi-dimensional awareness programme will
help in development of self-consciousness of the individuals as well as the
masses on the issue of water conservation and its judicious use.
The activities will be
undertaken in all parts of the country so as to touch each and every corner of
the country.
As an impact of the
above the people will become conscious of the importance of the limited natural
resources of water, the ways and means to use water judiciously and addressing
the local water related problems, thereby contributing to the sustainable use
of water resources through collective responsibility. Each and every individual
of this country, be it households, farmers, industrialists, children etc. will
be the beneficiary.
List
of major activities proposed to be undertaken during
Water
Conservation Year 2013
|
S.
No.
|
Activities
|
|
1.
|
Painting
Competition for children, on water conservation issues
|
|
2.
|
Organisation
of marathon in States/UTs across the country.
|
|
3.
|
Electronic
Media Campaign through TV, Radio, Digital Cinema.
|
|
4.
|
Print
Media Campaign through newspapers, magazines, journals.
|
|
5.
|
Participation
in Fairs/Exhibitions like ‘India International Trade Fair’ at Pragati Maidan.
|
|
6.
|
Organisation
of Workshops/Seminars/Conferences on water related issues.
|
|
7.
|
Organisation
of India Water Week - an international conference cum exhibition
|
|
8.
|
Special
awareness campaigns in Tribal areas
|
|
9.
|
Printing
and distribution of awareness publicity material
|
|
10.
|
Events
for School/college students like essay, quiz competitions
|
|
11.
|
Awareness
through mass media transport vehicles like Delhi metro, bus back panels, bus
shelters.
|
|
12.
|
Outdoor
publicity through hoardings/banners on water conservation at prominent public
places.
|
|
13.
|
Visits
of School/college children and other stakeholders to project sites for
educating them and creating awareness about benefits of programmes/schemes of
the Ministry.
|
|
14
|
Traditional
Media Campaigns like nukkad nataks, jal yatras.
|
|
15
|
Preparation
and exhibition of short films on water conservation
|
|
16
|
Mass
awareness programmes for Industry/Farmers/RWAs and other groups.
|
|
17.
|
Organisation
of National Congress on Ground Water.
|
Declaration
of the Year 2013 as “Water Conservation Year-2013”
Union
Cabinet in its meeting held on 9.5.2013 has given its approval for declaring
the year 2013 as “Water Conservation Year-2013”.
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