The government would provide clean drinking water to every household of the country by 2024, Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Shekhawat said on Wednesday in Rajya Sabha.Besides, the government would also undertake and promote steps for water conservation and curbing extraction of underground water, which is depleting the water table and is a matter of concern, the minister said.The minister was replying to a short duration discussion in the Upper House on water crisis in the country during which members suggested a slew of steps like river interlinking, district-specific blueprint for water conservation and speedy approval for rainwater harvesting projects.
Leaders from Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra highlighted the plight of the people.AIADMK member R Vaithilingam spoke about the problems faced by Tamil Nadu due to water shortage.Rangarajan said Chennai is the first Indian city “to have gone dry” with the Central Water Commission reporting a rainfall deficit of 41 per cent in Tamil Nadu till June 13 this year.
“Most of the Chennai population today depends on water tankers, municipal supply and private supply for drinking water. A tank of private water costs more than one gram of gold. Now gold is cheaper in Chennai than water. This is the truth,” Rangarajan said.D Raja of the Communist Party of India (CPI) said Tamil Nadu is passing through unprecedented water crisis and asked the government to try and evolve a national consensus on interlinking of rivers.
“We would try to provide drinking to every household of this country by 2024,” said Shekhawat and lauded the steps taken by governments of Karnataka and Maharashtra for conservation of water.The government is also considering reuse of water from the category of black water and grey water.”In India to produce one kg of rice, around 5,600 liters of water is spent, while in China it is only 350 liters,” Shekhawat said.
The minister also requested the member of parliaments to spend money from their MPLAD (Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme) on water conservation projects in their constituencies and areas.Vishambhar Nishad of SP said that studies about water crisis should be added to the school curriculum and students should be made aware about the issue. Lal Singh Vadodia asked the government to promote micro irrigation, drip irrigation techniques as done in countries like Israel, which receive less rains.Initiating the debate, AAP leader Sanjay Singh urged the central government to approve a rain water harvesting project near Yamuna proposed by the Delhi Government, cautioning that the national capital could face a water crisis in 2020.”We have proposed rain water storage project… but we need central government support otherwise there would be big water crisis in Delhi in 2020,” he said.
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