Ranchi, Sept. 19: Jharkhand receives a good rainfall but in the absence of a water conservation system, the water drains out.
Hence, water conservation methods, like rainwater harvesting, are needed to increase awareness among masses.
These points came to the fore during a seminar on the status of water conservation and its importance in agriculture today.
The two-day seminar began at Indian Natural Resins and Gums Institute, Namkom, on the eve of its 85th foundation day.
Bangali Baboo, the institute director, pointed out that around 26 lakh hectares in the state are lying neglected, which can be utilised for cultivation.
“Tribals in the state depend on agriculture and forest produce for their livelihood. Neglected lands can be put to use by following a watershed management programme,” he said.
A.K. Singh, the deputy director-general of ICAR, New Delhi, stressed on different factors causing scarcity of water.
Water should be utilised according to requirement thereby preventing its wastage to a large extent.
“Earlier, when the population was less, water was not an issue but with the growing population the per capita availability of water is decreasing drastically,” he said.
“A time may come when we will not have enough water for our own consumption, hence we should make judicious use of water.”
In the technical session, speakers laid stress on public contribution in solving water crisis. Scientists Mahesh Gupta from ICAR, New Delhi, said that saving water is more serious than natural problems in the present context.
“Small rivers have their own small place referred to as micro watershed. When it rains, the water can be collected in these watersheds thereby helping in water conservation,” he said.
The best way to conserve water is to generate awareness and get the help of villagers in building small ponds, he pointed out.
“In Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, there are 45,800 and 42,400 ponds respectively, which irrigate 1.5 and 1.0 lakh hectares. The increasing water crisis in the state can be solved by adopting water conservation methods, too,” said Gupta.
