Chandigarh, September 18
Three states recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the issue of interlinking of rivers, said Union Minister for Water Resources and Parliamentary Affairs Pawan Kumar Bansal while addressing a seminar on “Water conservation and management” organised by the PHD Chamber here today.

Giving details, he said the states, Maharasthra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, had agreed to work out modalities concerning management of water resources in their states. Expecting 20 per cent increase in the efficiency in utilisation of water resources after inter-linking, he said the Union Government was also chalking out plans for other identified inter-linking points.

The minister said the present proposal envisaged 30 links, including 16 peninsular and 14 Himalayan links, which were identified by the National Water Development Agency. Due to international compulsions, the Union Government was facing problems in proceeding with the river inter-linking project as regards points identified in the Himalayan region, he added.

He said efficiency in water use was mere 40 per cent in India, while it was around 60 per cent in many other countries. Changing lifestyles of the people had put a lot of pressure on water resources and hence there was a need to make the masses aware about the need of water conservation, he added.

Laying emphasis on community participation, Sanjay Kumar, Finance Secretary, UT Administration, said simple measures like rainwater harvesting, ground water recharging and checking wastage of water could go a long way in conserving the water table. Stressing on the quality aspect of water, Mahesh Gupta, CMD, Kent RO Systems Limited, said quite a number of diseases were avoidable if people had access to pure drinking water.

Dr Susheel Sankhyan, GM, Agri, Pepsico, said the depleting water table could lead to slowdown of the industry, spread of diseases and unrest among the masses besides putting a question mark on the food security of the country.

Ashok Khanna, Chairman, NRD Council, and former President of the PHD Chamber, shared initiatives taken by the chamber in Sikar and Alwar districts of Rajasthan where various check dams were set up through community participation that changed the water table scenario there.

Around 100 delegates, including industrialists, government officials, scientists, and academics, participated in the deliberations.