Decline in water availability due to increase in human, cattle inhabitants: Prakash Javadekar

There has been a decline in availability of water due to an increase in human and cattle inhabitants, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar stated on Friday, emphasising on the necessity to save water.

In his keynote handle on the curtain raiser occasion of TERI’s World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) 2022 and dialogue on sustainable, equitable and resilient water use, Mr. Javadekar stated new applied sciences should be used to guarantee zero wastage of water.

The occasion comes forward of the World Environment Day, which is well known on June 5.

“India has only four per cent water share of the world’s fresh rain water resources. So, there is a basic necessity to save, reuse and repurpose. When India became independent, the availability of water was 5,000 litres per capita now it has become 1,100 litres. There is a basic decline in availability of water due to human and cattle population growth,” he stated.

India has 18% of the world’s human inhabitants and 18% of the cattle inhabitants of the world.

The Minister stated efforts ought to be made in the sphere of agriculture to save water because it was consuming almost 85% of the water.

“Agriculture is consuming nearly 85% of the water. So, the first saving should come from agriculture. There are new technologies such as sprinkling, drip irrigation and other methods to save water which should be used,” he stated.

Mr. Javadekar additionally highlighted the problem of sinking of rivers and lauded the Ken-Betwa River linking venture, saying such initiatives are environmentally essential.

“The best news this year has been the Ken-Betwa agreement between Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh because if the deficit rivers get water from overflowing rivers, that really helps. In Gujarat also, two local rivers are exchanging their waters. Such projects are environmentally important,” he stated.

Acknowledging that a number of rivers had been sinking, the Minister stated there was a necessity to replenish water sources in forests the place main rivers originated.

“Rivers are also sinking. In forest areas the major rivers originate. We have decided to augment water and fodder in jungles so that animals also don’t come out of the habitat,” he stated.

The Minister additionally spoke about mild detection and ranging (LiDAR) expertise getting used for conducting surveys of forests in all States.

“This year we have used a new technology called the LiDAR survey (light detection and ranging), which will be for all States. We have selected one forest campus in each State and all are being surveyed through this technology. After this our detailed project reports (DPRs) will be ready and after rains, work on watershed development at correct places will start in all States,” he stated.

Mr. Javadekar additionally stated that the Ministry of Environment has offered funds via the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) for this survey and ₹40,000 crore has already been given for compensatory afforestation programme.

“For 15 years, this money was not getting used because of the Supreme Court judgement. We changed the basis of the Supreme Court decision and distributed funds to all States. I am warning the States repeatedly that these funds be used for the purpose they are meant for,” the Minister stated.