Preserve precious water resources: PM

New Delhi, July 4: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today called for conserving and preserving precious water resources of the country by forging a partnership between the government and citizens.

Inaugurating the two-day conference of Ministers of States and Union Territories in charge of Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Sustainable Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation for all-2012', Dr Singh asked the government agencies to create a framework for collective action with NGO and civil society to conserve water, otherwise severe water shortage would be faced by the country in future.

Pointing out that the resources for rural drinking water supply has been substantially increased from Rs 4,560 crore during 2006-7 to Rs 6,500 crore during 2007-08, he said ''The onus is now on states to ensure that these resources get translated into actual entitlements and improved services for the common man.'' He urged state governments to empower district level institutional structure to handle water supply. Panchayati Raj bodies should be encouraged to manage and financially sustain the operation of water systems created, he added.

Lamenting the increase in ''slipped back'' habitations as far as drinking water was concerned, Dr Singh stressed the need for effective action to ensure the sustainability of sources.

He said since the launch of Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme in 1972-73 there has been considerable progress in providing safe water to habitations but the number of slipped back habitations increased each year on account of the failure of the source. ''This is a major lacunae in the programme being implemented now,'' he added.

''This points to the urgent need for effective action to ensure the sustainability of sources. We need proper institutional arrangements to ensure that both scientific expertise for location of sources as well as collective action for water recharge are effectively mobilised,'' Dr Singh said.

The Prime Minister regretted that the institutional arrangements at the state level such as ''Source Finding Committees'' have remained dysfunctional and said these must be revived and the advanced scientific expertise should be fully utilised for the purpose. He also called for planned capacity building for the staff of public health engineering departments in geo-hydrology so that they would be able to appreciate issues of environmental sustainability of water resources.

In view of the increased incidence of water-borne diseases, Dr Singh directed the Department of Drinking Water to take proactive action to sensitise the community on safe water and its use.

Pointing out 43 per cent increase in the allocation for rural sanitation from Rs 740 crore in 2006-07 to Rs 1060 crore in 2007-8, he expressed satisfaction that the Total Sanitation Campaign was being implemented in 572 districts of the country. He urged state governments to work in collaboration with the Centre to provide affordable and safe drinking water and clean and low cost sanitation facilities to all sections of the people.

Speaking on the occasion, Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said till now Rs 65,000 crore has been spent on rural drinking water but all habitations have not yet been covered.

He also expressed concern over the 'slipping back' of habitation and said water availability, sustainability and quality should be the focus of any programme for watershed management, water conservation or rain water harvesting.

Pointing out the problem of arsenic, floride and iron being found in water in many areas of the country, the Minister said water testing programme has been launched in all the Panchayats for which kits and training to five personnel in each village would be provided.

Emphasising the importance of rural sanitation, he said to prevent open defecation, the Centre has launched 'Nirmal Gram Puruskar,' which has become a major success with 4945 villages getting into it this year. Moreover, ten per cent of the Sanitation Programme finances were being given to villages for solid and liquid waste management.

Minister for Water Resources Saifuddin Soz called for proper management of water resources by augumenting ground water sources.

He called for more coordination and cooperation between the Department of Drinking Water Supply, his Ministry and other concerned agencies for the water conservation and better management.

The Prime Minister also released reports on water sustainability on the occasion.

The conference would deliberate on the issues like progress under the Bharat Nirman, issues of sustainability and convergence; Water Quality Surveillance Programme, Data Management and use of technology for Planning and Sanitation for all by 2012 with focus on aged, specially abled and children and Solid and Liquid Waste Management.

Effective implementation of the Drinking Water component in 'Bharat Nirman', the flagship programme of the Central government, and State-specific Action Plans under Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme (ARWSP), ARWSP (DDP), Sub Mission on Quality Control and the National Quality and Surveillance Programme will also be reviewed.

UNI