New Delhi: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Monday expressed concern over the scarcity of water in various parts of the country and said everyone should join hands to find a solution to the problem before it is too late. “Water is a lifeline but right now growing scarcity of water is a big concern for us,” the AICC in-charge eastern Uttar Pradesh said.
All of us together should find a solution to the problem before it is too late, she said.
Congress’ chief spoke-sperson Mr Randeep Surjewala also highlighted the importance of water, saying if there is water, there is a tomorrow. “In the last 10 years, 4,500 rivers and 20 lakh ponds, wells and lakes have disappeared. Water preservation is a national challenge. We need to rise above politics, and together find a solution to the problem. There should not be any delay in this,” he said.
On Sunday Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Mann Ki Baat, appealed to all Indians to create awareness on water shortage, share knowledge of traditional methods of water storage and share information about individuals and NGOs working on water conservation.
“Water scarcity affects many parts of the country every year. You will be surprised that only 8 per cent of the water received from rains in the entire year is harvested in our country. Now the time has come to find a solution. I believe we can also solve this predicament by the participation of people,” he said.
Chennai currently is facing an acute water shortage as the main reservoirs have dried up after a poor monsoon season. People have been left to rely on wells and water brought in by truck. Thousands of wells dug across the city are leading to a rapid drop in the ground water level, and raising even further the concerns of environmentalists. New wells are being dug as deep as 1,000 feet. Much of the water they produce isn’t even fit to drink
