PM for growing more crops using every drop of water

New Delhi, Mar 22 (UNI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today stresed the need for rationalising water supply by conservation and ''growing more crops from every drop of water''.

Inaugurating the World Water Day Function, organised by various Union Ministries and the UN, Dr Singh said rationalisation also required economic pricing of water as well as community-based cooperation in water use.

Without directly referring to the inter-state water disputes, the Prime Minister said human societies can not descend into chaos due to conflict on utilisation of water resources -- be it within the country or between the countries.

On the impact of global warming, Dr Singh said India was ''most vulnerable'' to climate change as it could have devastating effects on the country's glaciers, rainfall patterns and rivers.

Global warming not only affects rainfall, the flow of Himalayan rivers was also dependent on current climatic patterns.

There was mounting evidence about increased global air and ocean temperatures causing widespread melting of snow and ice and a rise in sea levels. ''All these fears may indeed come true if the present generation does not act with foresight and wisdom...,'' Dr Singh said.

Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz, in his address, said the theme of World Water Day was coping with water scarcity.

''Water is the most precious and indispensable resource that needs to be managed carefully.

Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh and Minister of State for Water Resources J P Yadav were among those who attended the inaugural session.

Later, addressing a meeting, Prof Soz said India accounted for four per cent of the world's water and had to provide water to 2.45 per cent of land mass to sustain one-sixths of the world's population.

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