Alive News Service:
Faridabad: Manav Rachna International University, Faridabad (MRIU) celebrated ‘World Water Day’ at its campus on March 22, 2016 in association with Indian National Committee of International Association of Hydrogeologists (INC-IAH) in line with United Nation’s Water Theme for 2016.
A Seminar on Awareness about Water Conservation was conducted at MRIU in which eminent speakers with rich, scientific and technical background from Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), Govt. of India, and GHS delivered knowledge and latest updates on the water sector. The audience consisted of representatives from educational institutions, industry, and NGOs along with faculty members and students. Dr. K. B. Biswas, Chairman, Central Ground Water Board; Smt. Usha Ananthasubramanian, MD & CEO of Punjab National Bank; Dr. D K Chadha, President GHS & Former-Chairman, CGWB; Dr. G.C. Pati, Member, CGWB; Dr. Mukherjee, Scientist- D,CGWB; Dr Dipankar Saha, Sec. INC-IAH; Dr M. M. Kathuria, Trustee, MREI; Dr. N. C. Wadhwa, VC-MRIU; Dr Jatinder Saigal, Dean, Faculty of Planning & Architecture, MRIU; Dr Sarita Sachdeva, HOD, Department of Biotechnology, FET, MRIU, were among other senior dignitaries.
The day began with the launch of the digitized Punjab National Bank branch at the MRIU campus. Smt Satya Bhalla, Chief Patron, MREI, was amongst the dignitaries present on the occasion. This was followed by a colourful event welcoming dignitaries to a Holi Milan and World Water Day programme organised by PNB Prerna South Delhi Circle in which Smt. Usha Ananthasubramanian, MD & CEO of Punjab National Bank on behalf of PNB Prerna donated a RO system to Sanatan Dharam Senior Secondary School Faridabad with further assurances of support for the School’s development and growth.
The scene soon shifted to the vast auditorium of the campus in which senior dignitaries held forth on the crisis in the water sector and the protective measures that need to be undertaken to conserve this precious resource. Addressing the gathering, Chief Guest Smt. Usha Ananthasubramanian, MD & CEO of Punjab National Bank spoke on ‘How banks contribute to the water security of the country’. She said, “Water is integral to all of us. Consequently, most of our civilizations have all sprung up around the river valleys. Water is intertwined with our very existence and has pervaded every aspect of our lives. Interestingly, there are 280 words used to denote water in Sanskrit. Rain water harvesting has to be made mandatory in every house. We need to take immense care to ensure that we are not party to polluting water and pledge our support for good, clean water for everyone.”
Dr. D K Chadha, President GHS & Former-Chairman, CGWB expressed, “Water is for everybody. A lot of disputes have arisen out of water woes and our possessiveness over water. The time has come for the government to take remedial action. We are the ninth largest water source in the world but the situation in terms of water scarcity has not been too positive. There is an urgent need to disseminate knowledge about water conservation and to that effect we would want to tie up with MRIU to teach three subjects, such as Rain Water harvesting, Restoration of Water in the villages and Technology in Water Conservation to the students.
While addressing the gathering, Dr K.B. Biswas, Chairman, Central Ground Water Board, said, “Water is a state subject. If you think you have the right to water, then you should also have the right to protect it. We have access to only 4 per cent of the total water source on earth. Since water is a finite source, we need to do our bit to protect the quality and quantity of water.” He also called for the need for “sustainability and participatory management for water conservation”.
Dr Dipankar Saha also spoke on the occasion, highlighting the acute water scarcity by 2050 when he said, “There won’t be enough water for drinking”. He also added, “Our country is inching towards a water crisis. It so happens we are the largest extractor of water in the world. We should therefore use water in a sustainable manner so that future generations don’t suffer in the long run.”
