Centre, state govts neglecting water problem: Rajendra Singh

Bhopal, June 4 (UNI) Magsaysay Award winner Rajendra Singh today alleged the Centre and state governments were neglecting issues relating to water conservation.

''It is difficult to imagine the terrible situation of water in the future because of neglect by the Centre and state governments.

Their attitude is devoid of wisdom and full of neglect,'' said Mr Singh, who is here to take part in a seminar on 'Jal Satyagrah' organised in the memory of late socialist leader Raj Bahadur Pathak.

Mr Singh told reporters here impractical projects like river-linking were being implemented in the country without taking its ill-effects into account, while questions on water ownership remained unanswered.

''The origin of rivers in states like Madhya Pradesh is not glacier and as such in the coming 10 years a situation of severe crisis could be developed,'' he warned.

Mr Singh, who has constructed and revived several water bodies in Rajasthan, said society needed to be given its rights over water.

Only then water conservation and water management was possible.

He said common people did not feel connected to campaigns for water conservation started on government level making such campaigns a 'mere ritual'. The revival of water bodies was not possible without public participation.

He said several laws also posed a hindrance in the way and needed to be removed.

Commenting upon revival of Arwari river in Rajasthan's Alwar district, Mr Singh said 'Arwari Sansad' was constituted to decide upon judicious use and management of river water.

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