Will adopt best practices in water resources management: LG Sinha

TNN Bureau. Updated: 4/13/2021 10:25:36 AM Front Page

Piped drinking water to all rural households Sep 2022: J&K to GoI

Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday said the administration will adopt best global practices in water resources management and optimum development of water infrastructure.

He said the people should understand the importance of every drop of water.

Sinha made these remarks while reviewing the issues of water resources development and management in the Union Territory.

The Lt governor said development is necessary, but it should not happen at the cost of natural resources.

"I assure all the citizens of UT that no new locality or market shall be allowed to come up on water bodies. Conservation of water resources is the top priority of the UT administration, he said at a review meeting.

"Our Union Territory is rich in water resources, but due to unplanned development and increase in population, the availability of clean water is very much in danger and hence, the management and regulation of water resources becomes more important, Sinha said.

Pointing to the alarming situation of reducing numbers of ponds and depleting water resources, the Lt governor cited a survey conducted in Jammu and Kashmir in 1998.



According to the survey, there were 1,248 natural water sources, rivers and ponds, etc. However, during the satellite mapping of the same in 2009, this number was reduced to just 565.

The Lt governor called upon all those involved in the management of water resources to understand the sensitivity of the situation.

"Considering our water resources as living bodies, we have put in all our efforts for their effective management using technical tools, so that we can save water resources for the future generation, he added.

"There have been many discussions in the past on water resources development and management, rehabilitation of rivers and lakes and flood control, but no concrete work has been done on the basis of them, Sinha added.

The Lt governor noted that the Jammu and Kashmir Water Regulatory Authority was established in 2012 and a water policy was also planned in 2016-17, but could not be implemented properly.

"Like the authority of other states and UTs, in Jammu and Kashmir also, the authority had wide rights for inter-regional allocation of water, project evaluation, establishment of water tariff, etc. But still, there were many shortcomings, he said.

He said the best water resources management done in the world is by Israel.

"Whether it is drip irrigation, advanced filtration, water leakage detection, rainwater collection or treatment system, all these techniques were invented by Israel. Israel has given a revolutionary contribution in the water management system, Sinha added.



The Lt governor also expressed his gratitude towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi for signing MoUs with a number of countries which are pioneers in water resources management.

Under these MoUs, technical expertise on water resources development and management is to be shared through the workshops. A number of states, including Punjab, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, have taken the benefit of the expertise of Israel in desalination of water bodies, he added.

He asserted that with G S Jha as the chairperson of the JK-WRRA, many previous issues have been resolved.

During the meeting, Israeli expert Niv Pintow gave a detailed presentation on water resources management.

Sinha said an MoU has also been signed with an agency of England to provide necessary inputs in formulation of required plans to efficiently tackle floods.

"This is a major step and will help in providing risk forecasts in terms of casualties due to floods in the river, collapse of buildings, disruptions in infrastructure and economic losses, he added.

Meanwhile, administration has assured the Centre that it would provide piped drinking water to every rural household in the union territory by September 2022 under the Jal Jeevan Mission, ahead of the national deadline, the Jal Shakti ministry said on Monday.

The UT has presented its Annual Action Plan (AAP) in this regard through video conference before a national committee, it said.

The panel is chaired by the secretary, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Jal Shakti Ministry.

The national committee carries out a thorough scrutiny of the proposed AAPs prepared by states and UTs before finalising the same.

Thereafter, funds are released in tranches based on physical and financial progress and regular field visits. Review meetings are also held to ensure implementation of the AAPs to achieve goals set under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).

Jammu and Kashmir had declared two districts -- Srinagar and Ganderbal -- as ''Har Ghar Jal'' districts, wherein all rural households have tap water connections.

The union territory has 18.16 lakh rural households, out of which tap connections have been provided to almost 10 lakh households as on March 31, the ministry said.

In 2021-22, the UT plans to provide 4.9 lakh tap connections. It has plans to make nine more districts as ''Har Ghar Jal'' district that is every rural household will be provided with tap water connection, it said.

"Jammu and Kashmir assured the committee to provide piped drinking water to every rural household by September 2022 under the Jal Jeevan Mission, ahead of the national deadline," the ministry said.

The JJM aims to provide piped drinking water to all rural households in the country by 2024.

During the meeting, Jammu and Kashmir authorities presented their progress on implementation of the scheme as well as the AAP for coverage of rural households and support activities to be taken up in the UT.


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