Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on January 5, urged the States to adopt ways where the water budget is prepared at the Panchayat level based on how much water is required in each village and what work can be done for it.
In his address to the first All India Annual State Ministers Conference on Water via video message, PM Modi emphasised the need to increase forest cover in the State for water conservation.
He said there is also a need for ‘coordinated efforts’ by the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Water. He also called for attention to the conservation of all local water sources. He reiterated that Gram Panchayats should prepare an action plan for the next five years where a roadmap ranging from water supply to cleanliness and waste management should be considered.
Highlighting the success of ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’ as a major development parameter, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recommended that Gram Panchayats should lead the Jal Jeevan Mission, and after the work is completed, they should also certify that sufficient and clean water has been made available
PM asked States to adopt ways where the water budget is prepared at the Panchayat level and maintained that the ‘Catch the Rain’ campaign has been successful.
The Prime Minister reiterated that such campaigns should become an essential part of the State government activities, which should be evaluated annually. “Instead of waiting for the rains, all the planning needs to be done before the rains”, he suggested.
The Prime Minister pointed out that in the constitutional system, the subject of water comes under States; thus, the States’ efforts for water conservation will go a long way in achieving the collective goals for the country. The ‘Water Vision @ 2047’ is an essential dimension of the journey of Amrit Kaal for the next 25 years, he said.
He said different ministries of State Governments, such as the Ministry of Water, Ministry of Irrigation, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Rural and Urban Development and disaster management, should take up water-related missions sincerely.
He further added that planning would get help if these departments had information and data related to each other. Noting that success does not come from the government’s efforts alone, Prime Minister Narendra Modi drew attention to the role of public & social organisations and civil societies.
However, he explained that promoting public participation does not reduce government accountability. The most significant advantage of public participation is the awareness that is created among the public. “When the public is associated with a campaign, they also get to know the seriousness of the work. Due to this, a sense of ownership also comes in the public towards any scheme or campaign”, Mr Modi said.
The Prime Minister gave the example of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and said, “When people joined the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, a consciousness was awakened in the public as well”.
He emphasised the need to teach this idea of public participation towards water conservation and highlighted the impact that awareness can create. The Prime Minister suggested, “We can organise ‘Water Awareness Festivals’ or an event related to water awareness can be added to the fairs held at the local level.” He stressed the need to innovatively make the younger generations aware of this subject, from curriculum to school activities.
He said the country is constructing 75 Amrit Sarovar in every district, wherein 25,000 Amrit Sarovar have already been built. He emphasised connecting technology, industry, and startups to identify problems and find solutions. He mentioned technologies like geo-sensing and geo-mapping could also be of great help.
Highlighting the success of the ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’ as a significant development parameter for States to provide water to every household, the Prime Minister remarked that many States had done an excellent job while many States are moving forward in this direction.
He said that Gram Panchayats should lead the Jal Jeevan Mission, and after the work is completed, they should also certify that sufficient and clean water has been made available. “Every Gram Panchayat can also submit a monthly or quarterly report online stating the number of houses that are getting tap water in the village.”
He also added that a system of periodic water testing should also be developed to ensure water quality. The Prime Minister noted the water requirements in the industry and agriculture sectors and recommended that unique campaigns be run to make them aware of water security.
