Bengaluru: “In future wars could be fought over water," said R.V. Deshpande, State Minister for Large and Medium Industries and pointed out that Karnataka was a water stressed state with a huge urban population.
The minister was speaking at the annual water conference, organised by Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), in Bengaluru on Thursday. The minister insisted that water was the most important of all our natural resources.
‘Watch & Watch Yourself’ a three-part plan to alleviate Bangalore’s waste water woes was also launched by Mr Deshpande at the conference. The minister also insisted that people present should take an oath to conserve recycle and recharge water.
Mr Deshpande compared water to oil as a natural resource and said that Karnataka is one of the most water stressed states in the country. About 38 per cent of state’s population is living in urban areas against the national average of 28 per cent and this is expected to increase to 50 per cent by 2030. Without effective management of available resources, water will become the main constraint for economic development.
Hariprasad Hegde, Convenor, CII-Karnataka Water Task Force insisted that when it comes to addressing the issue of water it requires the participation of all stakeholders and not just the industry or government alone.
