High time to further new initiatives and ideas for integrating the sustainability of charged water resources-Dr.C.P.Joshi

Union Minister for Rural Development has said that it is high time to further new initiatives and ideas for integrating the sustainability of charged water resources and their is an urgent need to create mass awareness on a larger scale for the attainments of targets set up for the TSC during the 11th Five year Plan period. Dr. Joshi was addressing the opening session of a Conference of State Secretaries of Rural Drinking Water & Sanitation to address the issues related to Planning for sustainable Total Sanitation along with the sustainability of Water Sources in the rural areas of the country.

Dr. Joshi advised the participants to evolve a methodology that help convergence of rural drinking water supply and sanitation programmes implementation part with NREGA. He said keeping in view the adverse effects of Global Warming on the receding availability of water sources especially in the rural pockets of the country there is urgent need to promote ground water recharge by extensive rain water harvesting. The minister asked the participants to ensure engaging of local elected bodies i.e. Gram Panchayats fully in this gigantic task and opined that interaction between elected representatives and lower level functionaries is a must. He assured that Centre will take every step for the redressal of problems faced by States in the implementation of various programmes launched by the Ministry of Rural Development.

Earlier inaugurating the conference the Minister of State for Rural Development Ms. Agatha Sangma said to provide safe drinking water, and complete sanitation to the people of this country is the biggest challenge for the Department of Drinking Water Supply. The department has set an ambitious target to provide universal toilet coverage in rural areas by 2012 and coverage of all Schools and Anganwadi with toilet facility by March 2010, and to achieve these targets, there is still a long way to go. She urged the States to take up all identified recharge structures in the supplied HGM maps for the implementation under NREGS, IWDP or NRDWP.

The two day long Conference organized by the Department of Rural Drinking Water Supply, M/o Rural Development is expected to discuss and evolve new ideas related to Planning for sustainable Total Sanitation, strategies and best practices under total sanitation campaign such as gram panchayat and district level capacity building , strategies and best practices under TSC. Among others triggering tools for accelerated sanitation coverage- experiences, quality management and technology options in sanitation, ECOSAN, community sanitary complexes for uncovered population, school sanitation and water supply – Mysore model, school sanitation – experiences, Quality Management and Technology Options in Sanitation are likely to figure in the deliberations. Support and Support Structures, IMIS- Data gaps and efforts required for better IMIS, SWSM/ DWSM/ WSSO, Empowerment and Capacity Building of GPs for RWS&S, Change Management will be discussed. Policy Issues / Management / Institutions / Planning, Panchayats planning and managing Rural Water Supply Schemes, Roof-top rainwater harvesting for drinking water usage, Training rural youth to manage water system and integrated village level water planning, Coverage of SC, STs and Minorities dominated habitations are also on the agenda. Convergence options with NREGS, IAY, SSA, ICDS and NRHM, Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance are also likely to be discussed and strategies for future are expected to be chalked out during meeting.

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AKT/ST/SAK