PHED organises workshop to conserve ground water

To address the problem of water scarcity particularly during dry season, State chief secretary, CJ Ponraj, has called upon the PHED engineers to conserve water in their own division to have sustainable drinking water through identification of natural water resources and spring water.
The chief secretary also advised the PHE Department to identify conditions in the rural areas and intervene on excessive cultivation which has been affecting ground water. He said this at the one day workshop on ‘Ground water prospects map of Nagaland’ under Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission project held at PHED conference hall on January 30.
The chief secretary said 90% (percent) of people depends upon God’s natural spring water for sustenance and added that to produce 1kg of rice we need 5000 kgs of water which is a big challenge. He urged the Engineers to conserve water through identification of natural water resources and spring water and to intervene on the excessive cultivation affecting the ground water.
Briefing on background of the project, Dr. Zavei Hiese, SSO and Member Secretary of Nagaland Science and Technology Council, said under Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission (RGNDWM) Phase – IV project, Nagaland Ground Water Prospect Maps is being carried out by Nagaland Science and Technology Council (NASTC) under the supervision of National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC). He said that the objective of the project was to provide the drinking water by means of identifying the ground water sources through scientific means especially for the non-covered (NC) and partially covered (PC) habitations and make them sustainable by way of augmenting recharge conditions of the aquifer (ie) the source of ground water.
Chief Engineer, PHED, Er. Kevisekho Kruse, delivering a short speech, said providing drinking water is one of the most important priority of the government. He also stated that department is finding out ways and means to keep up the project to provide drinking water. In this regard, he has appealed the communities to come forward and extend co-operation to the government to have sustainable drinking water.
Advisor of Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Government of
India, New Delhi, Shanmugam Sundaram, in his keynote address, said out of 100 percent ground water, 92 percent is being used for other purpose and only 8 percent is used for drinking in India. He urged the Engineers to handle the ground water resources map on uniform scale using quality data and geological inputs to cover the entire country.
The programme was chaired by Secretary of PHED, Anenla S Longchari, while the welcome address was delivered by Secretary of Department of Science and Technology, CM Tsanglao, and vote of thanks was delivered by Director of WSSO PHED, Re. KG Sumi.
Earlier, the chief guest released the maps and atlas and also handed over the project report to the Public Health Engineer Department. The workshop was organized by Public Health Engineer Department, Government of Nagaland, and Nagaland Science & Technology Council, Department of Science and Technology, Government of Nagaland.