Water Management and Governance Need Focus: Director General, National Mission for Clean Ganga

We have a sufficient quantity of water, but we do not manage the water effectively, said Mr G Asok Kumar, Director General, National Mission for Clean Ganga, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India. 

He added that if we can handle the twin issues of water management and water governance, we could easily solve most of the water issues in the country. Mr Kumar addressed the 13th IWA International Conference on WaterReclamation and Reuse under the theme--Water Reuse: Overcoming theChallenges of Growth and Climate Change--hosted by FICCI. He also alluded to the Swachh Bharat Mission, noting that ten crore toilets provided since 2014 led to achieving the open defection-free status. He also noted the plans to rejuvenate river Cauvery on the lines of NamamiGange.

Dr Josef Lahnsteiner, Chair, IWA Reuse Specialist Group,  Mr Rajiv D Mittal, CEO, Va Tech Wabag  and Dr Thomas Michael MOLLENKOPF, President, IWA, spoke on approaches to wastewater reuse and pollution management.

In her opening remarks, Ms Naina Lal Kidwai, Chairman, FICCI Water Mission and Past President, FICCI, said the conference aims to disseminate ideas of water culture, conservation and reuse, besides giving a corporate focus towards water management in the countryalong with the involvement of private partners.Dr GSK Velu, Chairman, FICCI Tamil Nadu State Council, said the centre is taking all steps to conserve water resources in the country.