Guwahati, 25thJuly 2019: In the backdrop of the Assam deluge that has been taking a toll on human life and animal life besides severe damage to property, and as most of the country is facing a severe water crisis, Indian Institute Technology Guwahati is conducting a mission-critical workshop on ‘Seeking Sustainable Solution to Water & Sate Specific Action Plan (SSAP) for Water Sector of Assam’ today (25th July) on its campus. Supported by The Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, the discussions in the workshop revolve around the themes of:

Current water requirement, provision, utilization and their future projections

Challenges of water availability for current and future scenarios in respective water sectors

Strategies for meeting current and future water demand in the country

Call for a State-specific Action plan for meeting current & future demand of water

With the water resources of the country under severe stress with continuous decline in per capita water availability, the workshop discusses the significance of the State Specific Action Plan to achieve the objectives of the National Water Mission. The SSAP for water sector needs to be formulated based on scientific assessment of the supply and demand side of water resources and vulnerability to climate change.

The workshop covers the following critical analysis and solutions:

Existing water scenario based on current and past data on supply and demand side

Critical review of existing water policies; identifying current and future development needs and challenges, vulnerable areas and communities

Evolve and formulate performance indicators for water cycle

Formulate annual State Water Budgets

Document assessment / impact of Climate Change on the State – resources, and livelihoods

Formulate a strategic action plan including location and context specific contingency plan to manage the impact of climate change

Formulate a comprehensive and integrated water plan for water security, safety and sustainability till 2050 through convergence and accountability from Government and non-Government organizations

Several leading experts are presenting their views at this workshop at IIT Guwahati. The speakers include:

Dr. Arup Kumar Misra, Director Assam Science Technology & Environment Council  Prof. Shu-Qing Yang, Associate Professor and Dr. M. Sivakumar, Associate Professor, School of Civil Mining and Environmental Engineering, University of Wollongong, Australia

Dr. Sreevalsa Kolathayar, Associate Professor, School of Civil Engineering, VIT, Vellore

Prof. TG Sitharam, Director, IIT Guwahati

Prof Chandan Mahanta, Head, Dept of Civil Engineering, IIT Guwahati

Welcoming the delegates to the workshop at IIT Guwahati, its Director Prof. TG Sitharam said, “There is no shortage of water in the world, particularly in India; there is a shortage of storage of water close to where water is required. This workshop is being held at our campus at IIT Guwahati at a critical time when the country is going through a severe water crisis at one end, and a deluge in Assam. Strategies to address water conservation and preservation need to be adopted from our traditional water harvesting systems and structures such as Tankas, Dongs, Bavadi, Khadin / Dhora, check-dams, bandharas and cheruvus and explore possible solutions such as sub-surface dykes, sub-surface dams or underground dams or sand dams and coastal reservoirs”.

Prof. Chandan Mahanta, Head, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Guwahati, opened the workshop with a welcome address to the audience followed by a presentation on ‘Geotechnological solutions for sustainable strategies in water resource development’ by Dr. T.G. Sitharam, Director. Prof. Mahanta presented on ‘Transforming hydro disaster to hydro prosperity in the most complex hydroscape of the world’.

Speaking about his views on the water situation in Assam and the current deluge, Dr. Arup Kumar Misra, Director Assam Science Technology & Environment Council and Assam Energy Development Agency, said, “Assam’s State Water Policy was drafted about 12 years back by a committee of experts who have given several sustainable solutions for water preservation, conservation, rain water harvestation and a water budget, including reviving traditional methods. This policy needs to be urgently revived and implemented by the State.”

The workshop also discussed critical action items for conservation of water such as:

 *Less dependency on groundwater

*  Assured supply of drinking water

*  Mandatory sewage treatment for recycling and reuse of water

 *Periodical scientific assessment of water inventories both groundwater and surface water

 *‘Conservation consciousnesses should be promoted

*Fisheries should be made a part of integrated water resources management system

The SSAP workshop aims at achieving outcomes that included:

Annual State/UT Water Budgeting (to be undertaken annually)

One State Government Department to be designated as responsible for coordinating and monitoring water resources in the State comprehensively

Institutional Mechanism to monitor the development and use of water resources comprehensively at State level including measurement at Supply and Demand side and strict monitoring of Quality and fixation of accountability

Contingency Plan to address climate change impact on water

• SSAP on water security, safety and sustainability till 2050