Union minister calls for judicious use of groundwater resources

New Delhi: Judicious use of groundwater is important to conserve the water sources, Union Minister of State for the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and Ministry of Highways and Transport Harsh Malhotra has said here.

The Central government is taking a number of steps to address the water crises in the country, he said, adding that the public and NGOs should join hands with the government to conserve water.

He was speaking after inaugurating ‘The Water Transversality Global Awards and Conclave’ orgnaised by India Water Foundation with support from Ministry of Power, Jal Shakti, Social Justice and Empowerment of the Government of India and South and South West Asia (SSWA) Office of United Nations Economic and Social Commission for the Asia Pacific Region.

Highlighting that the government of India is aiming to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2070, the minister said the it has been consistently working towards a healthy environment through its various flagship programmes like LiFe, FAME, Climate resilient crops, National Mission on Clean Ganga, Har Ghar Jal and solar energy initiatives.

Several experts said that over-extraction of groundwater, pollution from industrial activities, and deforestation have contributed to the draining of natural resources. In urban areas, rapid development and inadequate waste management systems have led to the contamination of rivers and lakes, leading to a compromise in the quality of water, experts expressed concern.

Minister of State for the Ministry of Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Chaudhary presented awards in various categories like water use efficiency in the industrial sector, climate resilient agriculture practices, rain water harvesting and ground water management to organisations, states, individuals and schools.

Shombi Sharp, UN Resident Coordinator in India, Amit Ghosh, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, and Mikiko Tanaka, Director of the SSWA office of UN ESCAP and Arvind Kumar, President, India Water Foundation spoke at the event.