(a) whether the Fourth Water Asia International Conference and Exhibition of Asian Water Industry was held in New Delhi recently;
(b) if so, the details of discussions held in the conference and the outcome thereof; and
(c) the schemes, if any, formulated to overcome water crisis
in the country ?
THE MINISTER OF WATER RESOURCES ( SHRI ARJUN CHARAN SETHI)
(a ) to (c) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (c) OF STARRED QUESTION
No.312 TO BE ANSWERED IN THE LOK SABHA ON 15.04.2002 REGARDING
CONFERENCE ON ASIAN WATER INDUSTRY.
The Fourth Water Asia International Conference and Exhibition on
Asian Water Industry was held from 30th January to 1st February, 2002
at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. The Conference and Exhibition was
organized by Interads Ltd. Conference & Exhibitions, New Delhi ( a
private sector agency) and co-sponsored by United Nations – Asian &
Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology (APCTT), United States –
Asia Environmental Partnership, Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry
of Environment and Forests, Central Pollution Control Board, Indian
Environmental Association, Indian Water Works Association, Associated
Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASSOCHAM), etc. Ministry of Water
Resources co-sponsored it without financial assistance. 45 speakers
made the technical presentation during the conference and about 3500
business visitors attended the event. The conference inter-alia
covered the themes on water resources management, industrial water,
waste water treatment and regulatory aspects. The organizers of the
conference have not come up with any recommendations.
In order to augment the availability of water for various uses
and their efficient use, schemes are planned, investigated,
formulated, implemented and funded by the State Governments out of
their own resources and as per their own priorities. The time by which
the schemes are to be completed is dependent on the priority assigned
to such schemes by the State Governments and the resources made
available for these schemes. To help the State Governments in their
efforts to harness the water from natural resources and accelerate
creation of irrigation potential by early completion of ongoing
schemes, Government of India has launched Accelerated Irrigation
Benefits Programme (AIBP) since 1996-97. Under the programme,
financial assistance in form of central loan is being extended to
State Governments to help them complete the ongoing irrigation
projects in a time bound manner so that the benefits could accrue at
the earliest. Accordingly, the Central Loan Assistance (CLA) amounting
to Rs.8480 crore to the State Governments have been provided under
AIBP upto end of 2001-02. An outlay of Rs. 2800 crore has been
provided for the year 2002-03. Additional irrigation potential of
over one million hectare upto the end of March, 2002 has been created
under AIBP. Assistance is also being extended to State Governments
under Command Area Development (CAD) Programme for bridging the gap
between potential created and utilised. An expenditure of Rs. 764.15
crore has been incurred during Ninth Five Year Plan under CAD
programme and an outlay of Rs. 202 crore has been provided for the
year 2002-2003. Government of India is also promoting rain water
harvesting through Watershed Management Programme, artificial recharge
of ground water and roof-top rain water harvesting under the sector
reform project of Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme under the
Ministry of Rural Development, for which technical and financial
assistance is provided to the State Governments and other implementing
agencies. Central Ground Water Board has also taken up pilot studies
for artificial recharge of ground water. For meeting future
requirements of water, as a long term measure, National Water
Development Agency have formulated National Perspective Plan for water
resources development which envisages interlinking between various
Peninsular rivers and Himalayan rivers for transfer of water from
surplus basins to water deficit basins.