India to declare 2013 as Water Conservation Year

New Delhi: With per capita availability of water depleting at a faster pace, the government today approved a proposal to declare 2013 as Water Conservation Year under which awareness programmes will be launched for conservation of the scarce natural resource.

Under the proposal, which got the nod of the Union Cabinet, the Water Resources Ministry will launch a series of programmes among masses, especially children, on water conservation. While India has more than 18 per cent of the world`s population, it has only 4 per cent of the world`s renewable water resources. With growing population and rising needs, per capita availability of water is likely to go down from 1545 cubic meter per annum in 2011 to 1341 cubic meter per annum in 2025. Water Conservation is the key objective of the National Water Mission which is one of the eight National Missions under the National Action Plan for Climate Change. This envisages conservation, minimising wastage and ensuring more equitable distribution of water resources both across and within states through integrated water resources development and management. PTI