IIT Madras launches Jal Dhan Campaign to conserve water

Chennai: Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) launched the Jal Dhan Campaign for the conservation of water on Friday.

The campaign was launched in the presence Minister of State, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras.

The campaign was inaugurated during the National Level Water Conclave – 2K23 held with the theme of Sustainable Agriculture with millet focus, water conservation and rainwater harvesting in Industrial sectors.

Addressing the campaign inauguration, Ashwini Kumar Choubey said, “ Prime Minister Modi had also launched ‘Mission LiFE’ (Lifestyle for Environment) that will nudge individual and collective action to protect and preserve the environment”

Recalling the slogan of ‘One drop, One Crop’,Ashwini Kumar Choubey added, “It is important to conserve water for the future. The Government is also working to rejuvenate 75 water bodies in each district of the country….I congratulate IIT Madras for having such great Flora and fauna at the campus.”

Speaking on the occasion, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “Water is one of the greatest contributions of nature to mankind…All great things today, from the growth of a plant to the survival of human beings”.

Further, Prof. V. Kamakoti said, “IIT Madras is very committed to this major task, which is one of the prime deliverables of the Sustainable Development Goals. All the 17 SDGs put forward by the United Nations has some connection to water, either implicitly or explicitly.”

“When we want to find if moon is habitable, the first thing we ask is, if there is water there? Today, due to climatic conditions, we are seeing extreme variations in terms of heavy drought or heavy flooding and there is also an imminent need to conserve this precious nature’s gift. This conclave is to sensitise all of us to the changing climatic conditions in the world. Our small drops make an ocean” he added.

Addressing the school students, Dr. Vasantha Lakshmi, Chairperson of VLCT and RC, said, “Because reluctance or negligence across the world, each and every day, each person is wasting 11 litres of water. We need to ‘Save water, Save life’. Everyone should start saving water at their homes.”

Dr. Vasantha Lakshmi added, “The Jal Dhan Project is intended to save water. We are going to cover various components like awareness and Virtual water concept where we are going to talk about how industries can conserve and reuse water.

“Till now, we have covered 12 States as part of this project. As many as 475 non-governmental organizations are working on this initiative across the country” he added.