Two-day ‘All India Secretaries’ Conference on Water Vision @ 2047- Way Ahead’ concludes at Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu
The two-day “All India Secretaries’ Conference on Water Vision @ 2047 -Way Ahead” concluded at Mahabalipuram, Chennai (Tamil Nadu) with the key objective to strengthen the water security of the country.
32 States and Union Territories, 30 Secretaries and more than 300 delegates participated in this conference, sharing their best practices and action taken on the 22 recommendations of “1st All India Annual State Ministers Conference on Water” held on 5th and 6th January, 2023 at Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
The Prime Minister has given the clarion call of making India a developed Nation by 2047. Ten Sectoral Group of Secretaries (SGoS) are preparing a blueprint of the plan setting out realistic deadlines and milestones. On the directions of the Sectoral Group of Secretaries, each Ministry has prepared a Vision document pertaining to its sector. The Ministry of Jal Shakti organized a conference of State Ministers of Water on the theme: “Water Vision @ 2047” on 5th & 6th January, 2023 at Bhopal. The conference agreed on 22 recommendations for further action.
The said 22 recommendations include prioritizing drinking water & its source sustainability, building climate resilience, both demand & supply side management, enhancing water storage both at large & small scale, application of state-of-the-art technology, increasing efficiency of water utilisation, intensifying water conservation programs at every level, encouraging interlinking of rivers, monitoring river health & maintaining environmental flow, undertaking appropriate flood management measures and all these interventions with enhanced people’s participation. The Secretaies Conference followed up on these recommendations to accelerate action.
This conference was divided into five thematic sessions in the area of water management. The first thematic session, focusing on Climate Resilience, underscored the urgency of adapting to and mitigating the impacts of a changing climate on our water resources. The second session, Water Governance, acknowledged the need for effective policies, legal & institutional framework for collaborative decision-making. In the third session, Water Use Efficiency took centre stage. With the growing demand for water in various sectors, optimizing our water use is paramount. Our fourth theme, recognized the pivotal role of reservoirs and other storage mechanisms in water management. Finally, People’s Participation emerged as a key theme which facilitates the inclusive decision-making processes by actively involving communities. Altogether 30 customised presentations on these thematic areas were made in this conference which enumerated various initiatives undertaken by States.
A digital collection of curated publication was the special attraction of this conference which involved the careful selection, organization, and presentation of over 150 relevant publications, research findings, and literature pertaining to water-related issues on five themes of the conference. A Round Table Conference of Secretaries & CEOs of industries was also lined up towards end of this conference for exploring opportunity to effectively collaborate with industries in the journey of achieving Water Vision @ 2047.
A Ministerial Session was chaired by the Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. The Minister flagged the dire needs of collaboration and innovation to ensure the sustainable management of water for the well-being of our communities and the environment. He also reaffirmed the commitment to strengthen the Centre-State partnership for achieving goals of water security in the country.
Major takeaways of this conference include:
Assessment of actions taken on agreed 22 recommendations;
Agreement to accelerate action on areas that are lagging;
Evolving Water Vision@2047 Conferences as peer learning platform and forum for collaboration & partnerships;
Setting a foundation for continuous dialogue on strengthening water security;
Identification and sharing of capacity building needs.
Government of Tamil Nadu extended their whole hearted support in organizing this conference which facilitated bringing all the States/ UTs of the country and the Central Departments & Ministries on a single platform.