Srinagar: Secretary General of International Centre for Peace Studies (ICPS) Sheikh Khalid Jehangir on Thursday said that water management is a burning issue and it needs to be addressed.
Addressing the Youth-20 (Y20) consultation meet on climate change under India’s G20 presidency at University of Kashmir here, Jehangir said, “J&K is blessed with rivers and the per capita water availability in the Union Territory is highest in India.”
He said, “Our rivers are fed by the Himalayan glaciers and we are not likely to face any problem till 2060.”
However, Jehangir cautioned: “We know that the glaciers are receding due to climate change conditions. Water is not an infinite resource it is likely to deplete drying up our water channels.”
He said, “Even when water is available, we do not have efficient water management plans. Moreover, there is uneven distribution of water across the region.”
Jehangir said, “Population is growing and demand for supply of potable water is increasing. There is a case for judicious, equitable and sustainable management, allocation and utilization of water and fixing the rates for use of water.”
He said, “We have a responsibility towards future generations. We are taking things for granted. We pollute the water available to us without thinking how precious it is.”
Jehangir, while referring to the waste dumped in Dal Lake, said, “We dump waste into the water which is about 10,000 metric tonnes per day in peak tourist season in Dal lake alone.”
He said, “We release 18 tonnes of phosphorus and 25 tonnes of Nitrogen nutrients from 15 drains into Dal Lake.”
Referring to the issue of flood management, the ICPS secretary general said, “The use of water, control and management of construction works with respect to storage, conservation, irrigation, supply, flood control and prevention, improvement in the flow of water, improvement in the quality of water for human use, are issues which are being looked into.”
He said, “These issues are being addressed to a certain extent but the cumulative impact of measures taken by the government is not yielding the desired results, primarily because there is less public awareness about the issue. It is imperative that such issues are discussed in civil society forums which would complement the steps taken by government in a formal way.”
The most important fact, he said, was that the water resources are getting depleted by the day and therefore, “we should all work towards judicious use and conservation, sub-soil water recharge as well as adoption of eco-friendly lifestyle for optimal use of this resource.”
