Speech of the President of India at the inauguration the Second India Water Forum 2013 organized by TERI)
Speech
of the Hon'ble President of India at the inauguration the Second India
Water Forum 2013 organized by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)
1.
It is indeed a privilege for me to be present amidst you this morning
and to participate in the inaugural session of the Second India Water
Forum. At the outset, let me congratulate The Energy and Resources
Institute (TERI) and the other supporting partners – the Ministries of
Urban Development and of Drinking Water and Sanitation in the Government
of India and the Water and Sanitation Program of the World Bank – for
organizing a programme of true global relevance. I am happy to be given
this opportunity to address this distinguished gathering of water sector
experts, researchers, academicians, policy makers and students.
2.
Leonardo da Vinci had once observed and I quote: “Water is the driver
of Nature” (unquote). In India, water evokes reverence in people. It is
given the status of an incarnation of God, ‘Varuna’, who is worshipped
as the god of all forms of the water element.
3.
India is home to seventeen per cent of the world population. However,
it possess only four per cent of its renewable water resource.
Population expansion,rapid urbanization and developmental needs have
exerted tremendous pressure on India’s water availability. From 1,816
cubic metre in 2001, the per capita availability of water has reduced to
1,545 cubic metre in 2011. It has been estimated that it will further
reduce to 1,140 cubic metre by 2050. Water security, which already is a
formidable challenge, is going to aggravate in the future.
4.
As we grapple with diminishing water resources and escalating water
demand, water use efficiency holds great promise. In today’s context,
the saying “water saved is water generated” is truer than ever before.
This Conference, by focusing on water use efficiency, will help to bring
this important issue to the forefront of policy discourse.
5.
The National Water Policy 2012 recognizes the need to improve
efficiency in the use of water resources. The improvement of water use
efficiency requires innovative tools of promotion and incentives for
efficient water utilization. At the same time, it calls for dealing with
inefficient water consumption through disincentives and stricter
regulation. In the past, focus was laid primarily on augmenting the
quantity of water available without giving due attention to the manner
in which the water will be used or managed. A paradigm shift from ‘water
resource development’ to ‘integrated water resource management’ is now
necessary. For that, the existing institutions involved in service
delivery have to be restructured and strengthened.
6.
The threat of climate change is real and contemporary. By altering
river flows, decreasing groundwater recharge, intensifying floods and
droughts, and allowing salt water intrusion in coastal aquifers, climate
change can severely affect water resources. This challenge has to be
met by efficient water management. As part of the National Action Plan
on Climate Change, the National Water Mission was launched in 2011 with
the objectives of water conservation, minimization of wastage and
equitable distribution. One of the most important goals of the National
Water Mission is to increase water use efficiency by twenty per cent.
7.
Historically, agriculture has been the biggest consumer of water in
India. But due to unprecedented urbanization, urban water demand has
compelled the shift of water resources from rural to urban consumers
creating an inter-sectoral rivalry. With the sources of water remaining
unchanged, this inter-sectoral competition over allocation of water is
likely to rise in future. Addressing this situation calls for efficient
allocation of water between various sectors.
8.
Our country’s agriculture is a big demand centre for water. Water
management in this sector is therefore crucial for overall
sustainability of our water resource. The 3 R strategy of reduce,
recycle and reuse has to find application in our farmlands. Our
irrigation system has to encourage judicious use of water. Our efforts
at recycling and reuse of wastewater have to be doubled. India has to
also learn from countries like Israel where effective water policies and
technological advances have led to water use efficiency in
agriculture.The decreasing ground water level has to be contained by
resorting to improved water use technology and better management of
aquifers. Rain water harvesting has to be popularized by dovetailing
existing rural development schemes like Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee scheme. Our initiatives at integrated watershed
development have to aim at increasing the soil moisture, reducing the
sediment yield and improving water productivity.
9.
Usable water is a scarce commodity. The pricing mechanism has to act as
an incentive for saving and disincentive for wastage. The role of water
users associations has to be strengthened by giving them adequate
powers for collection of water charges and management of the water
distribution system.
10.The
provision of safe drinking water has become a serious development
initiative around the globe. There is a significant portion of humanity
which remains denied of access to this basic necessity. The reach of the
poor to safe drinking water has to be enhanced by developing mid-market
technologies that can deliver affordable water treatment devices. Micro
finance institutions have to be engaged to acquire devices and
encourage shared access to safe drinking water.
11.The
current legal framework pertaining to water in India is non-uniform and
inadequate to deal with the complex water situation. A broad
over-arching national legal framework of general principles on water
could pave the way for essential legislation on water governance in the
country. Concerted effort is also required to make the water sector
policies and regulations clear, coordinated and comprehensive. Only then
can India hope to mitigate the impact of the looming water crisis.
12.I
am aware of the good work being carried out by TERI in the water
sector. With the expertise that TERI commands in areas like integrated
water resources management, climate change, and domestic and industrial
water management, I am happy that it has chosen to take the lead in
organizing this event. I am most certain that this three day Conference
will witness comprehensive and dispassionate deliberations on various
aspects of water use efficiency, which will help to develop a consensual
understanding on water use management. I hope that this convention will
showcase advanced knowledge and successful technologies developed in
different countries and promote international knowledge exchange for
addressing challenges related to water security. I wish the organizers
the very best in successfully conducting this conference. I also wish
them all success in their endeavours.
Thank you.
Jai Hind!
