During the Independence Day speech this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed on the issue of water conservation and called out to the nation to contribute towards this effort. “The movement towards water conservation has to take place at the grassroots level. It cannot become a mere Government programme. People from all walks of life have to be integrated in this movement,” he said during the event.
India is one of the most water-stressed countries in the world today and even as the country continues to fight a pandemic that has impacted the economy like never before, the need to switch to sustainable water management practices has become equally urgent. Through the CII-Triveni Water Institute (CII-TWI), Government, industry and civil society have come together to address water related issues through a planned approach. The institute engages with stakeholders for enabling water security in the country and some of the interventions undertaken by the institute are:
Over the last few years, several Indian companies have reaped immense benefits by implementing the institute’s water management practices. Some of the projects completed by CII-TWI this year include:
During the year, CII has been implemented strategies for stabilizing/improving water resource scenario in the selected areas. Given below are a few projects that CII-TWI is currently implementing:
Community alliances
Through interventions aimed at conserving water and implementing water management strategies, the institute has been positively impacting the lives and livelihoods at the community level too. Rejuvenation of lakes and ponds; adoption and conservation of wetlands; building aquifers, watersheds and rainwater catchments are some of the initiatives taken up under the institute’s outreach programmes. Some of the projects undertaken during the year include:
A way forward can be achieved by reducing consumption of water as well as encouraging a water-frugal culture by bringing into focus products and processes that consume less water. Joint collaborations between Industry and Government are needed in projects such as installation of common effluent treatment plants, recycling water for processes and preventing waste-water run-off, among others.
