Water is emerging as the most precious commodity for mankind. This awareness has dawned after it was found that major water resources were depleting all over the world owing to climate changes. Melting of gigantic glaciers, rivers changing their course or drying up, population increasing on a fast rate and pressure on land and water increasing, all these things have made water a scarce commodity.
Its impact on our country is increasingly felt. When we take the entire country into consideration, we find that while there are some parts where water is not in scarcity but there are many more parts especially in Central and Western India where there is huge scarcity of water. Water conservation is an issue that has been taken up by the United Nations also because it feels that depletion of water resources could adversely affect mankind and as such it was important that steps are taken that would conserve water resources.
In view of the importance of water to human, animal and plant life, the Prime Minister floated a scheme titled Jal Kranti Abhiyan. It is a national scheme and after dealing minutely with its aspects, the scheme was conveyed to all the states and they were advised to implement the aspects of this scheme with the basic concept of conserving water bodies and bringing awareness among the people of how important water resource was for the human, animal and plant life. The scheme envisaged all States to formulate four committees on village, block, district and state level. The guidelines proposed close collaboration between the four committees to identify the Jal Gaon meaning the villages that were starving for water. The centre has also laid down the guidelines of how the purpose of conserving water bodies can be made possible provided the villages were well educated on the subject. Looking in retrospect, one can say that if the scheme is implemented sincerely and with dedication, there is every possibility that considerable portions of water resources could be preserved and maintained.
In this background, we are finding a totally discouraging picture in our State about implementation of Jal Kranti Abhiyan scheme. Despite lapse of good deal of time when the scheme was announced, nothing worth the name has been done in the State to give an impression that either the four committees have been constituted or any direction has been issued to them of how to proceed in the matter. The more astounding thing is that even the officers normally concerned with the subject like PHE are expressing their ignorance about the scheme. How come that a scheme coming from the PMO has not percolated down to the authorities that are supposed to take up the projects and bring these to completion. Although enough thrust is being laid countrywide on water conservation and management through integrated approach, Jammu and Kashmir has yet not understood the importance of the same. Abhiyan means mission and the spirit of mission is more important than just the few things that are recommended to be done. The mass movement has to be generated about preserving water resources and related activities like formulating security plan, implementation of works, monitoring of works, advocacy of water conservation in the village, local schools/colleges and holding fortnightly and monthly meetings etc. The mandate of the District Level Committees is to identify the Jal Gram, coordinate activities of Jal Gram, monitor the progress on monthly basis, appraise the plans and project reports of the activities to be implemented at district level and to plan and implement advocacy in water conservation through convergent methods.
It is no satisfaction to say that three big rivers of northern India are flowing through our State. We have to keep in mind the unusual topography of the State and vast number of villages and towns where we have scarcity of water for drinking and irrigation purposes. We have to understand that our lakes are shrinking and springs are drying up. We have to remember that glaciers are melting and water reservoirs are depleting. The underground water level is decreasing fast and the kandi areas of Jammu region are on the verge of meeting with disastrous situation. In view of these conditions, we wonder why the State Government is not taking up the Prime Minister’s Jal Kranti Abhiyan with all seriousness that it deserves.
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