THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Water Resources Minister Mathew T Thomas on Wednesday said people should have to understand the value of water which is becoming scarce. He was inaugurating the water literacy programme as part of World Water Day. He said water should be used with great care.
Water literacy campaign is being organised by the Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority, Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment and Department of Environment and Climate Change.
Thomas said there should be efforts to reuse water. He also mentioned that programmes such as Harita Keralam have been introduced with the aim of protecting water resources. K Muraleedharan MLA, district panchayat president V K Madhu, Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority director P S Sreekala and State Council for Science, Technology and Environment senior principal scientist Kamalakshan Kokkal were present.
Good water governance needed
“Thousands have lived without love, not one without water.” The quote by British poet W H Auden was repeated by Water Resources Minister Mathew T Thomas when he began his speech in a seminar on World Water Day. “Lack of proper water governance will have adverse effect on political, social and economic systems. The Haritha Keralam Mission launched by the government aims to address these issues,” he said at the two-day international seminar on water management combating climate uncertainties by the Directorate of Environment and Climate Change on Wednesday.
According to the minister, a good water governance was needed as scarcity leads to water inequity. “Climate change will increase the demand for water. But the supply will be reduced. Existence of water bodies will be worst affected. Only through a better water management can we mitigate the effects,” the minister said.
Planning Board vice-chairman V K Ramachandran said technology has a lot to offer in water management. “The climate change will lead to more rains in India. But it will be episodic and intense. Water management should address these issues.”According to him the economics of water resources is linked to the economic policy.
Recycling water
Scientific advisor to Chief Minister M C Dathan said a proposal to use recycled water through a parallel pipe connection is being actively considered. Additional chief secretary of planning and economic affairs V S Senthil said the state needed adaptation mechanism in the medium term and mitigation in long term for climate change. V S Sivakumar MLA presided over. The seminar discussed about water resources under a changing climate, water governance and resource management in the scenario of climate change.
Resist exploitation of water: CM
T’Puram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday highlighted the Plachimada struggle as an example for resistance against the water exploitation by monopolies and privatisation of water sources. “Such exploitation should be resisted. The state can set an example in water conservation,” he posted in Facebook on World Water day. “Haritha Keralam project aims at water conservation with popular participation. Let us unite for the cause,” said Pinarayi.
The Chief Minister said water conservation should be taken up as a social obligation. The new generation should grow up realising the importance of water. World Water Day is a reminder to that. All educational institutions would take pledge to conserve water, he said. He quoted the comments of Ismail Serageldin who said if the wars of this century were fought over oil, the wars of the next century would be fought over water unless we change our approach to managing this precious and vital resource.