Magasaysay awardee to intiate 'save water' campaign in Punjab

Jalandhar, Sep 23 (UNI) With over 70 per cent area under dark zones or grey zones, Punjab would soon witness rain water harvesting and community driven decentralised resources management programme like Rajasthan.

Talking to reporters here today noted environmentalist and Magsaysay awardee, Rajendra Singh said his Tarun Bharat Sangh had been studying the situation in some pockets of the state for some time. The campaign in some of these areas might be initiated with local people's participation by December.

He said 40 per cent of blocks in Punjab had been declared dark zones while 30 per cent are classified as grey zones and the situation needed immediate attention.

He said that farmer's insistence on more water consuming crops like paddy and over exploitation of ground water had resulted in water crisis in the state.

Under the campaign, public awareness for water management would be undertaken and water havesting structures suitable to the needs of the area would be prepared with people's participation.

Besides farmers, every household could contribute in the recharge of water table by ensuring measures to harvest rain water, he said. This could be done merely by preventing wasteful draining of rain water and storing it under the ground, the Magasaysay awardee said.

Mr Singh said that joint community efforts had brought about a revolutionary change in the situation in several areas in Rajasthan.

Besides Rajasthan, his campaign had also showed results in some parts of Maharashtra, Tikamgarh district in Madhya Pradesh and Meerut district in Uttar Pradesh.

He claimed that over 8600 water harvesting structures like check dams had been constructed under this campaign by villagers in these areas.

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