(a) whether an international conference on water quality and management was held in Jaipur recently;
(b) if so, the outcome thereof;
(c) the suggestions made by the experts regarding continuing
depletion of ground water level and contamination of surface
water; and
(d) the steps taken by the Government on the implementation of
the suggestions made by experts in the conference?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES (SMT. BIJOYA CHAKRAVARTY)
(a) Yes, Sir. The International Life Sciences Institute –
India has organised an “International Conference on Water Quality
Management South Asian Perspective†on April 11-12, 2002 at
Jaipur. The conference inter-alia covered the themes on community
approach to water quality, quality standards, monitoring and
surveillance in South Asian Region; water quality modelling,
waste water management, chemical challenge and microbiological
challenges.
(b) The delegates in the conference adopted ‘Jaipur
Declaration of Water Quality Management Vision 2025’ which
suggests that in the next two decades, such projects should be
planned and executed which would provide safe, adequate and
sustained water supply to all people for drinking and personal
hygiene. It lists the specific objectives to be achieved as an
integral part of the national development plans and suggests the
interim measures and medium term measures to be adopted to achieve
these objectives.
(c) Regarding continuing depletion of ground water and
contamination of surface water, suggestions made are; enactment of
legislation to control ground water extraction, ground water
recharge, multiple use of water by recycling and reuse, treatment
of waste water and recovering the cost of the treatment from the
consumers, penalisation of water pollution from all sources to
recover treatment cost, encouraging pollution free and water
saving technologies, putting up a water quality surveillance
system, monitoring of water quality with active involvement of
community, establishment of data banks, among others.
(d) Recommendations made in such Conferences are given due
consideration by the Government in formulation of its policies and
programmes. However, for regulation and control of ground water
development and its management throughout the country, the Central
Ground Water Authority (CGWA) has already been set up by
Government of India in January, 1997. Similarly, a Water Quality
Assessment Authority has also been set up in 2001 to standardize
water quality monitoring system, to take measures to ensure proper
treatment of waste water, to promote recycling and reuse of water,
to draw action plan for quality improvements in water bodies and
to promote rainwater harvesting, among others.