Jalgaon: Water Literacy, Public Participation Key To Tackling Water Crisis, Says Rajendra Singh

Jalgaon: Public participation and water literacy are the need of the hour to address the water crisis in the state. Water planning and efficient water usage have become crucial issues for the state's development, and water-related problems cannot be resolved without creating public awareness, said Magsaysay Award recipient and 'Waterman' Dr Rajendra Singh.

Dr Singh was speaking at a meeting organised at the Collector's office under the 'Chala Januya Nadila' (Let's Get to Know the River) initiative. The meeting was held to discuss the future course of the Girna River Basin Rejuvenation Project under the chairmanship of District Collector Rohan Ghuge.

He said the government is set to implement the 'Maharashtra River Conservation Campaign'.

Against the backdrop of increasing water scarcity, the administration has intensified its water literacy campaign. Conserving every drop of water has become essential. District Collector Rohan Ghuge announced that the necessary government machinery for water literacy and river conservation would be provided. Government coordinators, two at the district level and one for each river, would be appointed for the purpose.

With groundwater levels declining in many areas, the administration is placing special emphasis on water conservation. During the meeting, 'Nadi Prahari' (River Guardians) provided information on the current status of various rivers and the projects associated with them. It was stated that the administration is making efforts to immediately rectify discrepancies found in river rejuvenation reports.

Also present at the meeting were Zilla Parishad CEO Karishma Nair, Deputy Conservator of Forests Saurish Sahay, Additional District Collector Shrimant Harkar, Deputy Collector (EGS) Manjusha Ghatge, non-official members of the state-level committee and officials from relevant departments.