In news– Every year, World Water Day is observed on March 22 to raise awareness about the importance of water and educate people to conserve it.
About World Water Day-
- A principal focus of World Water Day is to support the achievement of United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 6, which is to ensure safe water and sanitation for all by 2030.
- The theme for 2022 is “Groundwater, making the invisible visible”.
- The idea of observing a water day around the world was first mooted during the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.
- The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution by which March 22 was declared World Day for Water and observation began in 1993.
Animation films as part of “H2Ooooh” initiative of UNESCO-
- On the occasion of World Water Day, National Mission for Clean Ganga, UNESCO and other partners released three animation films under its initiative “H2Ooooh! – Water Wise program for the Children of India”.
- The films are based on the stories submitted by school students focusing on protection and conservation of Indian Rivers.
- The initiative was launched by UNESCO in July 2021, jointly with the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and others.
- Divided in three phases, the project aims to spur creativity and raise awareness on water conservation and its sustainable use for students between the age of 6-14 years, by providing training and encouraging them to submit paintings and story ideas for the animated short films.
- During Phase I (July to August 2021), the participating schools screened 27 films produced by UNESCO on different water issues.
- In Phase II, 200 students underwent 2 weeks online training in script writing, character sketching and animation, and subsequently submitted their stories in a competition during the Phase III.
- The best three entries were selected for the production of animation films by Pranita B., R.MK. Senior Secondary School, Tamil Nadu; Aditi Mitra, Chinmaya Vidhyalaya, Kerala; and Sai Darshini, Harvest International School, Karnataka.
- These films bring out the message on river protection and conservation through the lens of a child.
Other UNl initiatives related to water-
- The International Year of Cooperation in the Water Sphere was 2013.
- In order to accelerate initiatives aimed at addressing the challenges related to water resources, the General Assembly proclaimed the 2018-2028 as the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development”.
India’s initiatives related to Groundwater conservation-
Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayi Yojana (PMKSY)–
- It was formulated with the vision of extending the coverage of irrigation ‘Har Khet Ko Pani’ in a focused manner.
- Its Groundwater component aims to utilize groundwater for irrigation purposes in areas where groundwater is sufficiently available.
Atal Bhujal Yojana–
- It has been designed with focus on community participation and demand side interventions for sustainable groundwater management in identified water stressed areas.
Central Ground Water Board (CGWB)-
- It is a subordinate office of the Ministry of Water Resources, Government of India, is the National Apex Agency entrusted with the responsibilities of providing scientific inputs for management, exploration, monitoring, assessment, augmentation and regulation of ground water resources of the country.
- CGWB was established in 1970 by renaming the Exploratory Tube wells Organization under the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India.
Minor Irrigation Census-
- The Minor Irrigation Census is conducted under the centrally sponsored scheme “Irrigation Census” with 100% central funding through which State Statistical Cells constituted under different States/UTs are also supported.
- It is conducted once in 5 years in order to create a sound and reliable database on groundwater and surface water minor irrigation schemes in the country.
Source: PIB
