The European Union (EU) can help India improve water quality of Ganga and tackle water scarcity and river ecology issues in the country, Union Minister Sanwar Lal Jat said today, as the Union expressed its interest in cooperating in the cleaning of the revered river.
"Experience of EU members can help India in improving water quality of Ganga and other major rivers. Another important area of cooperation between India and European countries is water scarcity and ecological aspect of water management. Sharing and learning of experience from EU members will help us address water scarcity and ecological aspect," Jat, the Minister of State for Water Resources, told the inaugural session of first Indo-European Water Forum here.
He stressed that it is imperative to keep in mind India's growing populace and size of land being cultivated while looking for a solution to the problem.
Jat noted that India's approach to water resources development since independence was mostly "project-centric" and "sources-based" without much emphasis on ecological and pollution aspects.
"This has resulted in water over-use, water pollution and unhealthy competition amongst multiple sectors. Therefore, proper allocation management of demand and efficient measures for use are urgently needed," he said.
On a desk study report compiled by an EU expert comparing draft Indian water legislation and European Water Framework Directive, Jat said, "European countries are smaller compared to India and they, I think, have to manage water for smaller populace. These aspects need to be thought."
The inaugural session was attended by EU Ambassador to India Tomasz Kozlowski, Water Resources Ministry Secretary Shashi Shekhar, European Commission Director-General (environment) Daniel Calleja Crespo, National Water Mission MD Nikhilesh Jha and other senior officials and delegates from the countries concerned.
Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti, who failed to
turn up for the event, in her message, observed India's water requirement is multiplying as urban and other demands are on rise from sectors like industry, agriculture, energy, domestic use and environment - all calling for proper allocation-management of demand and efficient measures.
In the context of the complex challenges, she said the European Water Policy, centered on management at the river basin scale and integrated management, presents a "viable" model for cooperation between EU and India.
"I am very happy to know a desk study will provide very useful inputs for our policy-making. The Forum will provide a platform for policy-makers and stakeholders to discuss key issues surrounding water resources management in India, as well as transferring lessons from the experience and implementation of European Water Policy," she said.
Crespo dubbed India as "very important" strategic partner and said EU member states were keen to extend support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Clean Ganga initiative.
He informed that already 40 European businesses were interested in India-EU cooperation over the Ganga.
"India is one of EU's strategic partners. And we are going to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Clean Ganga initiative. We already have more than 40 European businesses interested in doing India-EU Ganga cooperation.
"We look forward involving more players as cooperation develops. There is a lot we can share and learn from each other," he said.
He said India and EU both have water as their priorities and the two can work together on policies.
"Then we can also work with industries, because industry plays an important to invest. And then there is a possibility of also to support and finance projects together," he said.
The session was also addressed by Kozlowski and Shekhar who stressed on working together on the issue of tackling water needs - an "enormous and humongous" challenge before the world.
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During his speech, Kozlowski hoped Indo-European water partnership could cover a broad palette of water management challenges, relevant across Indian states and also contribute to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flagship initiative of Ganga Rejuvenation.
He noted that population growth and competing needs of water users are predicted to result in an increase of global water demand of 35-60 per cent by 2025 and this may lead to a situation where we have 40 per cent less water available than our needs at the global level. Some of these effects we are already witnessing here in India.
"The trends will be made worse by climate change, and this can have serious consequences for food security and for development of our economies. So we can reasonably say we are gathered around an important topic.
"We are very proud to have put together two very interesting days where European experts from several different EU countries will be able to interact with representatives from the Indian states on a broad range of shared topics related to water management," he said.
Kozlowski further said India and EU can learn a lot from each other and added the model followed by EU member states on framework laws established at European level is also "very suitable" for India.
"At EU we are in the unique position that we can bring together all the 28 European member states, all of which have their own key strengths, competencies and technologies. The way they can be combined in a European approach is indeed something special," he added.
