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| Soz stresses for scientific, judicious management of water resources | | |
Jammu, May 24, 2007.
Scientific and judicious management of water resources, both surface and groundwater resources, is the need of the hour and its misuse has led to serious ground-water depletion in many regions. This was stated by Union Water resources Minster, Prof. Saifuddin Soz while delivering a valedictory address at the Biennial Scientists’ Meet of AICRPs on Water Management & Ground Water Utilization at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture Sciences and Technology, Jammu.
He said that Water is that prime natural resource that most of us take for granted as free and so tend to over use. He stated that the greed, instead of the need, leading to its abuse, has led to serious ground-water depletion in many regions and rampant irrigation-induced water-logging in most of the command areas.
The Union Minister said that the effects of global warming on the quantum of fresh water "available for management" under "shirking " land resources makes judicious management of available water resources in each region, all the more imperative. He said the solutions to these problems have to be evolved in the form of Participatory Water management at stake-holder level for canal waters and tank waters through Paani –Panchayats and popularization of highly efficient pressurized irrigation systems.
Prof. Soz said that awareness in rain-fed farmers in the rain-water harvesting and recycling techniques in hill watersheds could change the scenario of rain-fed farming. He said that his Ministry has launched "Farmers’ participatory Action Research Programme’ in selected 5,000 villages of the country to demonstrate the already tested technologies on farmers’ fields so as to produce more crop per drop of water.
The Union Water Resources Minister assuring the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Nagendra Sharma to sanction the Rs.3.00 crore Chatta Project impressed upon the University to have a close coordination with sister University in Kashmir so that research work is well oriented and seeds are produced to have better yield in view of increasing water scarcity, confronting the community globally. Calling Agriculture, the main concern connected with Water Management, Prof. Soz said that when UPA Government is focussing on 9% economic growth in the country, there is need to have 4% growth in Agriculture.
Prof. Soz while referring to National Advisory Council on Water Management said that Dr. Swaminathan, a name in the management be invited to SKUAST Jammu to head a convocation, so that the regional potential of water management is discussed to yield better results.
Earlier, in his welcome address, Prof. Nagendra Sharma, Vice Chancellor, SKUAST, Jammu said that water is the lifeline of this planet and every drop of water should be conserved to improve the agricultural productivity. He added that there should be collective efforts for conservation of water especially ground water.
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