5th India Water Impact Summit commences

New Delhi, Dec 10: The 5th India Water Impact Summit (IWIS) began on Thursday with the theme of comprehensive analysis and holistic management of rivers and water bodies with a focus on Arth Ganga - river conservation synchronised development, the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) said.

It is being organised virtually by the NMCG and the Centre for Ganga River Basin Management and Studies (cGanga). Speaking at the event, Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said the Namami Gange project is one of the largest, holistic and successful river conservation programmes in the country, which is laying down a model framework for river rejuvenation.

"This summit is aimed at discussing and disseminating the needs for the modalities of embracing Arth Ganga and the vision of the prime minister in sectors that closely interweave with river conservation," he said.

The 5th IWIS will forge greater interaction between the investors and the stakeholders in the water sector and promote international cooperation between India and many foreign countries for water and river management, the minister pointed out. Ratan Lal Kataria, Minister of State in the Jal Shakti Ministry, stressed that the government is working towards sustainable development.

"This can be seen from the fact that all the sewage treatment projects have been developed by keeping the future capacity in mind," he said. Stressing the need for water-use efficiency, U P Singh, Secretary, Jal Shakti Ministry, said there is a huge scope for water conservation both at the demand side and the supply side management. He proposed "five Rs" for waste water management -- recycle, reuse, reduce, recharge (ground water) and respect for water.

Acknowledging the contribution of the IITs in shaping and modelling the Namami Gange project, Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, Director General, NMCG, said as part of the Gyan Ganga initiative, they are engaging with scientists and researchers at the national and international level to gain from their knowledge and experience.