Stress on Preservation and Maintenance of natural drainage and embankment system in KAshmir

On Sep 13, 2014

PRESERVATION AND MAINTENANCE OF NATURAL EMBANKMENTS AND DRAINAGE SYSTEMS COULD HAVE SAVED KASHMIR FROM FLOODS –A.B.PANDYA, CHAIRMAN, CWC

New Delhi September 13, 2014 Preservation and maintenance of natural drainage systems and embankments in Kashmir could have saved the valley from flash floods .Builders, developers and farmers have encroached upon the natural drainage systems in the hill states , the major cause for natural disasters .

“Deforestation, encroachments has led to breach of embankments. Had these embankments held well ,flood waters would have passed through the channel itself .Srinagar being relatively flat area, problem is more of drainage and less of flood. Once the water recedes, we will focus on strengthening the drainage system of channels”said Mr A.B.Pandya ,chairman, Central Water Commission (CWC) while inaugurating a seminar on ‘Sustainable solutions for clean water” jointly organized by Institution of Water & Environment and Outokumpu India here today.

“ We also have to look into growing need of proper water management , the water structures should be treated as part of infrastructure sustainability as India’s water management efforts have not been meaningful due to acute lack of storage capacity as rainfall in the country is restricted to barely 100 days in a year. The enormity of the challenge is also evidenced by the per capita water availability . Inadequate access to freshwater is one of the biggest limiting factors in the development process of any

country.” Said Mr Pandya.

“ India is facing serious and persistent water resource crisis. The simultaneous effects of agricultural growth,

industrialization and urbanization coupled with declining surface and groundwater quantity, intra and interstate water disputes, and inefficiencies in water use practices are some of the crucial problems faced by India’s water sector.” Added Mr Pandya.

“Overcoming the crisis in water and sanitation is one of the greatest human development challenges of the early 21st century, From digging wells to building dams, engineers have historically been prime providers of methods for meeting the water supply and quality needs of society. Technologies are being developed, for instance, to improve recycling of wastewater and sewage treatment so that water can be used for non personal uses such as irrigation or industrial purposes.. Technological solutions to the world’s water problems must be implemented within systems that recognize and address these inequities.” Said Mr Yatinder Pal Singh Suri, Country Head, Outokumpu India.

Mr Suri also stressed on clean corrosion resistance storage system for conserving water including us eof Stainless Steel, which provides the cleanest water, world wide.