Manmohan Singh calls for collective effort to conserve water

Warning that the earth will face severe shortage of water in next few decades if it is not used carefully, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today called for a collective effort by the government, NGOs and civil society to conserve water.

New Delhi, July 4 : Warning that the earth will face severe shortage of water in next few decades if it is not used carefully, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today called for a collective effort by the government, NGOs and civil society to conserve water.

Addressing a Conference of Ministers of states and Union Territories in charge of rural drinking water supply and sanitation, here today, Singh further stressed on the need of sustainable drinking water supply, its security and sound water management.

"Our planet will encounter in the next few decades severe shortages of water if we are not careful in conserving and preserving the precious and increasingly scarce water resources of our country. In our country, we should move forward, move towards forging a partnership between the government and citizens for conserving water. Government agencies must create a framework for collective action with NGOs and Civil Society at large," he said. xpressing concern over the increase in water borne diseases and also referring to linkages between drinking water and health, he directed the Department of Drinking Water to take proactive action to sensitise the community on safe water and its use.

"If environment provides the backward linkage for drinking water, its forward linkage is with health," he added.

He stressed the need to provide affordable and safe drinking water, and clean and low cost sanitation facilities to all sections of society. Singh pointed out that one problem with the management of the drinking water sector is that this is one activity within the portfolio of rural development programmes which is still handled at the State level and not at the district level.

"Other programmes with which it seeks integration have moved to being managed at the district level. I sincerely believe the time has come to do the same thing with regard to other supply schemes as well," he said.

He urged the State Governments to empower district level institutional structures to handle water supply and fund water recharge activities through National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA).

Three booklets on drinking water and sanitation were released by the Prime Minister on the occasion.

Union Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz, Ministers of State in the Ministry of Rural Development, Chandrasekhar Sahu and Suryakanta Patil, and Ministers from various states and Union Territories dealing with drinking water and sanitation were among dignitaries present on the occasion.

ANI