Imphal: “There will be no life without water,” said Education Minister S Rajen Singh and further added that the world will be facing a water crisis if we do not follow the law of nature.
Minister was speaking as the chief guest on the occasion of World Water Day cum Agromet Awareness Programme organised by Indian Council for Agricultural Research, ICAR, Manipur at its centre at Lamphelpat, Monday. Rajen Singh said that we should know the value of water. Water is life and we should use water judiciously. Wasting of water will give an alarming impact to human beings in the future, the minister maintained.
He said that the concept of preservation of water should be fully adopted by all. Cultivation of food crops is possible only when there is water. It is unfortunate that we have breached the law of nature. Human activities have created an ecological imbalance, he said and added that” we have to find out the reasons for the occurrence of uncertain floods and droughts during the last few decades”.
Minister said that there was a time when people produced sufficient food crops. The state was also self-reliant in terms of agricultural and other products. Our forefathers even had the practice of preserving crops and even fish products. The scenario has come to an unwanted change.
He also suggested that planting trees and stopping deforestation will help to check the increasing global warming. In order to provide water for agricultural activities up to some extent, Minor Irrigation Department has introduced the scheme of tube well in the fields. Command Area Development Authority, CADA is also constructing distributary channels, he added.
Dr S Basanta Singh, Director of Instruction and Research, Central Agricultural University, Imphal, Dr I Meghachandra Singh, Joint Director, ICAR, attended the occasion as the guest of honour and president respectively. Officials and staff of ICAR, Imphal, KVK, I/W, and others also attended the function.
A technical session was also held as a part of the observance.
