Ministers to discuss protected water supply to villages

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, OCT. 17. The Rural Development Ministry has convened a meeting of the State Ministers in charge of water supply and management for Saturday and Sunday to discuss means to ensure supply of protected water to all habitations in the country.

Mr. M. Venkaiah Naidu, the Rural Development Minister, said here today that 87 per cent of rural areas in the country had access to protected water supply, while 11 per cent villages were `partially covered'. Even then about 2 lakh hamlets in the country were not getting good water as it contained a mixture of arsenic, fluoride and iron content. Water in hundreds of villages was saline and brackish. ``We want to discuss these issues and steps to improve the situation''.

The agenda also included ensuring people's participation in operation and maintenance of water sources. The meeting would review the standard of water supplied in terms of per capita availability.

``We also want to rejuvenate the outdated and disused private water sources. We can look at alternatives like government funding of village panchayats to take over and maintain the resources'', Mr Naidu said, addressing a training programme for students on ``Food, Water and livelihoods: role of Sampoorn Gramin Rozgar Yojana (SGRY)'' organised by the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation along with government and voluntary organisations.

The Minister said the government was thinking of involving voluntary agencies like Rotary clubs in implementation of the SGRY (a food for work programme) which aimed at creation of community assets. They could take these programmes as part of their campaign to promote rain water harvesting and water conservation system.

Dr. M. S. Swaminathan, agricultural scientist, said people, particularly students, should promote the idea of `every drop of rain, more water to drink'. States like Tamil Nadu were getting adequate rainfall, but lacked methods to utilise it properly. ``The idea is to use the available water judiciously by tapping every drop'', he said.

At the programme, which was organised by the Rotary Club of Madras East and Madras South, besides the Anna University, State Municipal Administration and Water Supply department and the CLRI, students of the university were briefed about rain water harvesting. The president of the Anna University Rotaract Club, Mr. N Vijay, said civil engineering students formed a cell to promote the concept of RWH among people.

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