Prez for reducing water footprint, urges farmers to consider it

President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday emphasised the need to reduce water footprint and said that farmers, corporate leaders and government bodies need to actively consider it. The water footprint is the amount of water consumed to produce goods and services and cultivation of crops. Inaugurating the 6th India Water Week, Kovind said there has been negligence in preserving water and steps must be taken to ensure that future generations get clean drinking water. 

"We often talk of reducing our carbon footprint. It is time we talk about reducing our water footprint. Our farmers, corporate leaders and government bodies need to actively consider the water footprint of different crops and industries. We need to encourage agricultural and industrial practise that has least water footprint," the President said.

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Kovind said the Namami Gange project entails numerous projects to ensure the continuous and unpolluted flow of the Ganga. He stressed that making Ganga and other rivers clean cannot be a mission of the government alone and has to be a collective endeavour. In this context, he said idols of deities immersed in rivers should be made from environment-friendly materials to keep water bodies clean and ensure the safety of marine life. Water issues are too multi-faceted and complex to be solved by only the government or just one nation, Kovind said.

"All nations and their water communities have to come together to help build a water sustainable future for all," the President said.

Noting that managing and mapping groundwater resources is also an important aspect of water governance, Kovind said the widespread use of boring machines has led to unregulated and excessive exploitation of groundwater 

"We have to value our groundwater and be responsible. We have to ensure that our precious rainwater does not get wasted. We need to store and capture our rainwater by utilising our existing reservoirs, dams, other water bodies and by adopting water harvesting measures in our homes and neighbourhoods," Kovind said.

He also lauded the government for the Jal Jeevan Mission that envisages providing clean drinking water to all households in the country.

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