Water: A vital tool for life and prosperity
Water is susceptible to drastic changes as climate changes on Earth Planet. About 1 billion people added every year, the humanity needs more water across the globe to produce food to meet the demands every day. Moreover, better quality water is required to defuse the health/sanitary bombs created by human negligence in many mega cities and to preserve and upkeep the bio diversity of ecosystems for future systems, fresh water resources across the globe to be protected. More particularly the neglect in protecting India’s heritage and/or dying wisdoms of natural resources in many parts of the country since independence could prove extremely dangerous for the survival of humanity and for all the species.
Tamilnadu is a severe water-scarce State in India, as the available annual per capita water resources is only 650 cubic metre against the national average of 2000 cu.m. It is far less than the minimum annual per capita requirement of 1000cu.m. Its total water resources are only about 2% of that of the Nation with a population share of about 6%. In the State, total surface water potential at 75% dependability is estimated as 16,769 M.cu.m. (592 TMC) and ground water potential as 22,380 M.cu.m. (853 TMC). In addition to this, the State receives about 7300 M.cu.m.(260TMC) from the neighbouring States based on earlier agreements made between them, which are also subjected to frequent disputes. So there is an imperative need for using the available scarce water resources more judiciously through efficient management of the river basins including local fresh water ecosystems duly considering the future demands also.
Geographically, Tamilnadu is divided in to 17 River basins comprising 127 sub-basins, each basin having its own unique characteristics with spatial and temporal variations in the availability of water resources, users’ practices, conflicts among the users etc. In any river basin, more than 75% of the available water resources are used for irrigation with low water-use efficiency (WUE) for which the users (the farmers) alone cannot be made responsible. For an efficient micro level water-use management at the user’s side, proper macro level water distribution management handled by the suppliers (Govt. Agency) is more important in a river basin.
Tamil Nadu Water Week 2014
As part of earlier consortium on water conservation initiated jointly by Water Technology Centre – Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (WTC-TNAU), Centre for Water Resources – Anna University (CWR-AU), Madras Institute of Development Studies (MIDS) and DHAN Foundation propose now to convene Tamil Nadu Water Week 2014 during 8-12 December 2014 at DHAN Foundation, Madurai along with National Ground Water Conference organised by WTC, TNAU. This is going to be the first of its kind similar to India Water Week and World Water Week organized every year at National and International level to provide the opportunity to all the stake holders collectively discuss and resolve action leads for addressing the future challenges of water related issues. Every year the host institutions for the India Water Week and International Water Week throws the year focus and similar way we can also give this year focus as Water Management for Sustainable Development. This is going to be the joint event organized by above institutions. The partner institutions, every year would announce the theme for the year and it would be hosted at respective institutions on rotational basis. Based on the consensus, The DHAN Foundation, Madurai would be the convener of the event this year and WTC, TNAU would host the event at Madurai as a combined event of the National Ground Water Conference event at Madurai planned during 8th to 12th December 2014.
