More efforts are needed on ensuring rural population gets access to clean water
India’s Namami Gange Programme should be made more visible on international levels for more countries to participate in the mega river rejuvenation project for it is good for mankind, says Philippe Gourbesville, Madrid-based President of the International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research (IAHR) https://www.iahr.org/ .
By making the project more visible globally, more investments would flow in and help accelerated the ongoing Programme https://www.globaltenders.com/ , launched in June 2014 with twin objectives of effective abatement of pollution https://nmcg.nic.in/NamamiGanga.aspx.
The Government, along with the World Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Asian Development Bank among others, are implementing a long-term Namami Gange project https://www.meed.com/latest/tenders .
“Water quality is improving, pollution control is taking place but you have to be patient with such a large-scale programme given the size of the river and the population along it,” he said at the Singapore International Water Week https://www.siww.com.sg/home held 18-22 June 2024.
Gourbesville, who has travelled across the country over the past 35 years on water projects https://www.pub.gov.sg/ , observed the water management in India is getting better though there are numerous challenges for the central government in balancing between economic development and introducing tough regulations https://ted.europa.eu/en/ .
“The water quality is improving and the services are improving but efforts are still needed for the rural places to ensure that population gets access to clean water and have sanitation facilities in place https://water.org/ ,” he said.
But he conceded that the fast urban development taking place, the challenges of providing the population with clean drinking water and taking care of sanitation at the same time, is still a very big issue in India https://waterindia.net/ .
He underscored the need for everyone to pay a price for clean water services and pointed out that industries will have to make efforts not to pollute water through their various industrial processes and reduce consumption https://www.unwater.org/our-work/world-water-day .
Gourbesville believes India will bring in more tougher rules and regulations with penalties to be imposed on industries polluting water.
He highlighted how tough regulations and compliances in Europe https://watereurope.eu/ have eradicated water pollution from industries in that continent in 40 years.
Likewise, industries in India will realize that it would be wise to invest in pollution control measures than pay higher penalties, Gourbesville said. fiinews.com
