Dr Rajkumar Ranjan Singh said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Jal Jeevan Mission seeks to provide clean tap water to every home by 2024. “Hopefully, this mission will help Manipur in its water crisis”, says the MoS.
TFM Desk
“Due to the abundance of water on its surface, our planet is called the Blue Planet, composing of 75% water. There is only 1% of the total fresh water on earth that can be utilized. Manipur’s water crisis is not an exception”, said Dr Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, Minister of State , Ministry of Education and External Affairs. He made this statement during a World Water Day 2022 observation at the Department of Zoology, Manipur University.
Dr Rajkumar Ranjan Singh said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Jal Jeevan Mission seeks to provide clean tap water to every home by 2024. “Hopefully, this mission will help Manipur in its water crisis”, said the MoS during his online virtual address from New Delhi as the Chief Guest of the event.
The programme was organised by Department of Zoology, Manipur University and Apunba Imagi Machasing (AIMS), Manipur under the theme, “Understanding the Water Crisis in Manipur”.
Guests of Honour of the event are Prof. Amar Yumnam, Former Vice-Chancellor (i/c), Manipur University; Dr. H. Birkumar Singh, Senior Principal Scientist, CSIR-NEIST, Imphal; Prof. N. Mohilal, Head, Department of Zoology, Manipur University and Dr. Homen Thangjam, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University Regional Campus Manipur (IGNTU-RCM), Makhan, Manipur. It was presided by Prof. R. Varatharajan, Dean, School of life sciences, Manipur University. The programme commenced with a welcome address by Mr. Mayanglambam Khelendro Singh, President, AIMS, Manipur and the Keynote Address was delivered by Dr. Atom Sunil Singh, Director, AIMS, Manipur.
Resource Persons during the event include Dr. Wazir Alam, Assistant Professor, Department of Environment and Forest, Manipur University; Dr. W. Roshan, Environmental Engineer, Manipur Pollution Control Board, Government of Manipur and Mr. Thokchom Thoiba, Adviser, AIMS, Manipur and the programme was concluded with a vote of thanks by Mr N. Ratan Meetei, Director, AIMS, Manipur.
AIMS in a release said that massive deforestation due to anthropogenic factors including jhuming, poppy plantation, population growth etc. has taken place in the catchment areas of different rivers of Manipur. Because there forests covers has dwindled, topsoil erosion has resulted in the shallowing of river beds, which ultimately have almost dried the rivers.
Lowering of Water table and disappearance of Water bodies that are Flood reservoirs and source of water during lean seasons have ultimately made Water scarce in Manipur. It is time for us to rethink our approach towards restoring freshwater in Manipur. In spite of being one of the wettest places in the world, water is still a problem in Manipur. Water harvesting technology, Water budgeting and Water policy in Manipur are lacking. The sitting recommends the implementation of the above and also suggests a Workshop for arriving at an in depth policy towards solving Water Scarcity in Manipur, added the release.