Ahmedabad, Aug 23 (HS): Five Padma awardees joined policymakers, scientists, water experts, industry representatives and grassroots practitioners at the national conference ‘Bharat Discourses on Water @2047’ in Ahmedabad, focusing on water conservation, responsible consumption and sustainable water management.

The conference was organised by Udgam Charitable Trust in association with the Center for Water Peace (CWP), Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation (SPMRF) and i-Hub at the KCG Auditorium in Ahmedabad.

Padma Bhushan Dr Anil Prakash Joshi said water should be viewed not merely as a resource but as the foundation of life, ecology and human civilisation. Emphasising the vision of “Water for All”, he said water security could not be achieved through infrastructure alone and required changes in individual lifestyles and attitudes towards natural resources.

Padma Shri Umashankar Pandey highlighted the importance of community participation in addressing India's water challenges. He said people at the village and community level had an important role in protecting local water resources and traditional water systems.

Dr Mayur Joshi, Managing Trustee, Udgam Charitable Trust, said water security could not be achieved by governments alone and required awareness, behavioural change and collective action. He said the organisation aimed to take the discussion beyond conference halls and promote water conservation as a shared responsibility.

The conference also highlighted India's traditional water-management practices, including johads, baolis, kunds and other traditional water-harvesting systems. Discussions covered groundwater conservation, climate resilience, river rejuvenation, urban water security, innovation and water governance.

Among those who participated in the deliberations were former Rajya Sabha member and former ICCR president Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, SPMRF Director Binay Kumar Singh, Padma Shri Sathpal Singh, Dr Vivek Kumar, Head of the Centre for Rural Development and Technology at IIT Delhi, BAOU Vice Chancellor Prof (Dr) Ami Upadhyay, Gujarat Commissioner of Higher Technical Education Dilip Rana, IAS, Madhya Pradesh Principal Secretary Umakant Umrao, IAS, Padma Shri Mahesh Sharma, Chiranjivi Patel and Vijay Baghel, known as the ‘Greenman of India’.

The deliberations are expected to contribute to a proposed ‘Bharat Water Manifesto 2047’, with the broader objective of strengthening awareness and collective action for India's water security.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Indrani Sarkar