Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh organized a webinar on “Water Governance and Management” to take forward the initiatives for water conservation, as part of the Jal Shakti Abhiyan announced by Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Water Resources, in which UGC has proposed to integrate ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ by bringing initiatives for activities centred around “Catch the Rain-2022”. A University Club, “Jal Sanchay”, was also inaugurated at Amity University on this occasion.
Speaking about “Water Conservation”, Dr. Archana Sarkar, Scientist E, NIH, (Ministry of Jal Shakti, Dept of Water Resources), averred, “Water conservation is an integral part of the new initiatives in rainwater harvesting.” She highlighted the problems of water stress with increasing demands for fresh water and how these problems could be solved through water harvesting. She said that water has been harvested in India since antiquity, with our ancestors perfecting the art of water management. She explained various water harvesting structures and water conveyance systems specific to the eco-regions and how this culture has been developed. She further discussed the process of Rainwater Harvesting and explained that rain drop is harvested directly from rooftops and water is collected and stored in tanks built in their courtyards, artificial wells and various forms of water bodies.
Sharing his views on “Rainwater Harvesting”, Dr. Sandeep Singla, Prof. & Head Civil Engineering, RIMT University, Punjab, said, “The environment, economics and other factors are correlated and applied simultaneously for water harvesting and management.” He highlighted the process, strategies and importance of rainwater harvesting for combating the current environmental issues. In addition to this, he further discussed the obvious benefits, such as the ability to supply water in a decentralized manner, increasing local water security and better stormwater management, which can be obtained through the use of these systems. He focused on design principles, application scale, water quality and public acceptance and concluded his deliberation by stating that rainwater harvesting can have a significant impact on water management during extreme precipitation.
Presenting his thoughts on “Agricultural exports and Water Management”, Dr. Parashram Patil, Founder and President, The Institute for Natural Resources, Delhi, mentioned, “The world is facing severe climate crisis in agriculture, which is a ground for international policies on Climate Change as agriculture is a crucial sector for economic growth.” He further explained the policies of international organizations like World bank, WHO and UNFCCC which are making direct impacts on agriculture sector and climate change policies. He concluded with a message that climate change has to be accommodated in the agriculture economy for long term sustainable economic development.
Congratulating the team for organizing the webinar and launching the University Club “Jal Sanchay”, Prof (Dr.) Balvinder Shukla Vice Chancellor, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, stated, “We, at Amity, are extremely pleased to take forward the initiative of water conservation, which contributes to our nation in the form of capacity building, by forming a university club “Jal Sanchay”, a forum through which students can reach out to influence, engage their parents and neighborhood communities to promote sound environmental behavior. The Club will empower students to participate and take up meaningful environmental activities and projects. It will also provide an opportunity to the students to explore water depletion concepts and actions beyond the confines of a syllabus or curriculum.”
Addressing the guests on this occasion, Prof. D. K. Bandyopadhyay, Mentor, Amity Institute of Environmental Sciences, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, said, “We need to be aware of the environmental challenges that we face today and become environmentally conscious citizens. Education has always played an instrumental role in disseminating knowledge, providing necessary skills and helping to form positive attitudes. Students need to be equipped with appropriate skills to address and take necessary action on water depletion issues and its conservation in pursuit of a better quality of life in the new millennium. This is possible through a change in attitude which occurs when people are knowledgeable about water associated problems and solutions to water conservation methods.”
The event was attended by the students, researchers, scholars and faculty of Amity in large numbers