There is a need for community-based participation for appropriate distribution of water as it is the most precious resource. The views emerged during the two-day workshop titled ‘Jal Samvaad’ organised by Conservation Core Society (CCS) and Chhattisgarh State Planning Commission that concluded on Sunday.
Addressing the valedictory function, Urban Administration Minister Amar Agrawal said we should spread social awareness so that the most precious element like water is saved and conserved properly.
Vice Chairman of State Planning Commission and former Chief Secretary Sunil Kumar expressed the need for participation of women in the formulation of Water Policy in the State.
Opinions and views of all other stakeholders whether it would be from media, academic research, local bodies, legal, corporate or agriculture sector, should be also taken into account, he said.
Earlier, at the outset, Commission’s Member Dinesh K Marothia emphasised on cleaning the ponds and other small water bodies and giving rights to the community so that water scarcity problems could be solved.
In his presentation on gender issue related with water, senior journalist from New Delhi, Sudeep Thakur said that lives of most of the women living in rural parts of the country is affected due to water crisis and the women have to travel between 1 to 5 kilometers daily for fetching potable water.
Quoting the data of NSSO report, he said that 54 per cent of villages in the country are facing acute crisis of drinking water.Another participant Vice Chancellor of Bilaspur University, Gauridutt Sharma said that it is a matter of concern that despite ample rainfall, the State is suffering from water crisis.