BackWorld Water Day draws attention to the Gangas
World Water Day draws attention to the Gangas
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PTI
New Delhi: Not satisfied with the conservation efforts to revive River Ganga, Union Minister of Water Resources Saifuddin Soz today said a rigorous movement should be launched to keep it clean and bring it back to its pristine glory.
“Ganga is in a bad shape. I am not satisfied with the way the conservation programmes have been undertaken to revive the river, which is not safe and on the verge of extinction," Soz said here at a function to mark World Water Day.
“We should join together to find out where the tax payers’ money is going. A rigorous movement should be launched to keep it clean to bring the river’s last breath back," he said, adding it was common to see animal carcass and human bodies floating on the holy waters.
With the government’s observance of 2007 as the Water Year, it was clear that priority was being given on issues pertaining to water management, given the fact that India has 4% of the world’s water.
“All stakeholders should join hands on the issue," he said at the function organized by Water Digest, a magazine on water information in collaboration with UNESCO and Plan India, an NGO.
A recent initiative taken this year included the Farmers Participatory Action Research Programme , undertaken in 5,000 villages across the country to promote “more crop and income per drop of water" and to empower communities through training of Water Masters in each Pani Panchayat in these villages.
An annual award will be instituted this year, recognizing the most effective Pani Panchayat in the country. This would involve the village community in a participatory approach.
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