Mismanagement of water causing natural disasters
EMINENT AGRICULTURAL scientist and vice-chancellor of Banaras Hindu University, Prof Panjab Singh, said that mismanagement of water was leading to natural disasters like floods and droughts in several parts of the country every year.
EMINENT AGRICULTURAL scientist and vice-chancellor of Banaras Hindu University, Prof Panjab Singh, said that mismanagement of water was leading to natural disasters like floods and droughts in several parts of the country every year.
He was delivering the inaugural address of a two-day 4th R&D Session of Indian National Committee on Hydrology at KN Udupa auditorium in BHU here on Thursday. Prof Panjab Singh, also former Director General of Indian Council for Agricultural Research, stressed the need to bridge the gap between research and implementation to ensure adequate drinking water for one and all across the country. “We have sufficient water for our use but there is need of proper water management to tap water resources in the best possible manner,” he said.
“Despite having good rainfall ratio, several parts of the country are facing drinking water crisis.”
Citing example of Rajasthan, he said that despite having a low rainfall Rajasthan never faced drinking water crisis due to efficient water management. He stressed upon the need of aggressive awareness programmes for water management and its conservation.
Central Water Commission chairman R Jayseelan presided over the function and said that there was plenty of water in the country but we lack infrastructure to use it.
He said around 40 per cent water gets lost in distribution in city areas, which was a matter of great concern. He said there was need to reduce this loss of water and evolve effective means and ways to meet the water requirement in the country. Director of National Institute of Hydrology, Dr KD Sharma dwelt upon the R&D session whereas director of Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Prof SR Singh delivered the welcome address.