LYNGKYRDEM: India’s ‘water man’ Rajendra Singh has expressed surprise that a state, which boasts of the world’s wettest place on earth (Sohra), also faces water crisis and suggested that people plant trees while Chief Minister Conrad Sangma announced that the government will come out with a water policy within a month.
In an interaction with a section of the media at Lyngkyrdem village on Wednesday, Rajendra Singh said, “But where does the water from Meghalaya flow to? It is out of the country.”
With the people of the state crying out for water, he suggested that the residents of the state, if they are concerned about the future, can start planting trees to conserve the soil and water to rejuvenate the springs where rivers are born.
Singh was on his maiden visit to the state describing it as the “home of clouds” while pointing out that the state that he comes from, Rajasthan, rarely sees clouds.
“I come from a place where we get 200 mm annual rainfall and the place here gets 11,000 mm rainfall but the place has no water,” he said.
Besides planting of trees, he suggested starting community water management.
Referring to the “one citizen, one tree” initiative, Singh said, “The country faces the crisis of climate change and global warming and the only solution is increasing the greenery.”
According to him, the country also faces the twin problems of drought and flood which can be managed by planting trees and observed that trees are the foundation of spring water.
He added that a “reserve bank of water for earth” should be created to ensure the springs are rejuvenated and rivers can find their way in nature. However, for Singh, the linking of rivers is the biggest threat to the nation.
Terming “modern” education as a big challenge and threat, he said, “Mother nature is destroyed by modern education.”
According to him, modern education and indigenous knowledge system should be integrated for a sustainable future and asserted, “We need science with common sense.”
When asked to comment about mining, he said, “Unscientific mining is not needed anywhere. I am advocating to stop mining as it poses danger to the earth and people. Rat-hole mining is not good for Meghalaya.”
He maintained that mining is not in favour of nature and humans as it is done in the name of development but poses danger to humans and the environment. However, he said scientific mining should be planned.
He said the citizens are to not exploit natural resources and minerals but conserve the greenery.
Water policy within a month: CM
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Wednesday said the state government will come up with a water policy within a month while India’s ‘water man’ Rajendra Singh suggested that people should plant trees.
Speaking at a World Environment Day programme at this village in East Khasi Hills district, he said the water policy was the result of long consultations with many experts in the hope of addressing the water crisis in the state.
Later, speaking to reporters, he said, “We are in the process of coming out with a water policy. The draft is ready and we are giving final touches. We are consulting experts who are there in the field and depending on the preparation we can come out with the policy within two weeks or maximum one month.”
He said the water policy will give the government a direction in terms of water conservation, its proper utilisation, community participation so that a decentralised system of water is initiated.
Sangma said the aim of the water policy is to ensure water bodies in the state are protected. He informed that the policy is a vast and detailed one.
