BENGALURU: The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef) has undertaken a programme in 12 water districts and two cities of Karnataka to conserve water.
In the pilot programme ‘Save Water’, youth in the 14-29 year age group are being trained, who are in turn training and educating people in water conservation. The youth are being made ‘master trainers’.
The three-year long pilot programme started in December 2023. In the past one-and-half months, 90,000 youths have been trained; who have trained and reached out to 1.75 lakh people and saved 1.75 cubic metres of water. An app has also been created, where they upload details of their work.
The programme is undertaken along with the Youth Services and Sports department, and Shri Kshethra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project (SKDRDP).
The 12 districts and two urban local bodies where the programme is being undertaken are Bagalkot, Bidar, Belagavi, Chikkaballapur, Chitradurga, Gadag, Kolar, Koppal, Raichur, Tumakuru, Vijayapura, Yadgir, Bengaluru (Rural and Urban) and Hubballi- Dharwad (urban).
The programme aims to engage 4 lakh direct volunteers who will reach out to 16 lakh people and save around 18.5 million cubic metres of water in 3 years, said Venkatesh Aralikatty, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Specialist, Unicef, Hyderabad field office.
LH Manjunath, executive director, SKDRP, said, “The programme is designed to save water at individual level. The focus is on youth, as they are sensitive and carry the message.”