WORLD WATER DAY 2011, weeklong events launched: 16- – 22 march 2011

TRICHY: 16, March 2011:  SEVAI, a Trichy based Non-Governmental Organisation celebrates a week long events in commemoration of World Water Day from 16^th to 22 March 2011 at EcoN centre, Trichy.K.Devendran,Director EcoN , an eminent social worker graced the inaugural function as Chief Guest. Dr.K.Govindaraju, SEVAI delivered Key Note Address on “potable” water. He said that ‘International World Water Day is held annually on 22 March as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. UN-Water has chosen "Urban Water Management" as theme for World Water Day 2011. The overall goal of the World Water Day on 22 March 2010 campaign is to raise the profile of water quality at the political level so that water quality considerations are made alongside those of water quantity.SEVAI (www.sevai.in) decides to observe the world water day on important themes’.

Dr.K.Govindaraju highlighted the importance of water for every being on the earth and said that self lifestyle of human being is leading to alarming condition of drinking water. Over dosage of organic fertilizers leads fields to salinity of earth. Factors like dumping of industrial polluted water and domestic wastages into the rivers are responsible for water pollution. Non availability of water for irrigation creates unemployment in rural area. These unemployed youths turn to cities in search of employment and burden capacity of urban area in providing welfare facilities to citizens. Thus urban area is unable to cope up with the basic needs like shelter and drinking water to rising population needs. He stressed the need of implementing schemes of watershed activities to increase groundwater level so that sufficient water would be available for irrigation and drinking as well. He told that due to implementation of various watershed activities at Thottiyapatty, Dasilnaickanoor, the groundwater level has raised from 60 ft to 30 ft in last ten years. Dr.K.Govindaraju opined that government should consider giving encouragement for micro irrigation systems and provide necessary help to farmers which would save lot of water.

Dr.K.Govindaraju added ‘In a survival situation, finding safe drinking water is of paramount importance. Humans can survive prolonged periods of malnutrition and even starvation, but expire within days without water. Dehydration progresses rapidly from mild discomfort to debilitation and ultimately, death, if left unaddressed.  We should draw from the knowledge and experience of such diverse sources as scientists/engineers, search and rescue/disaster relief personnel, the military, outdoorsmen, and healthcare providers operating in remote environments. Before getting to their expertise, however, we should better-define the parameters of possible scenarios and the problems they pose. Drinkable (potable) water is of sufficiently high quality that it can be consumed or used with low risk of immediate or long term harm. It is necessary to bring the water to a rolling boil for 1 minute, before allowing it to cool for use. In coastal regions, just above the high water mark, SEVAI recommends digging into sand dunes to find fresh water that may have collected in a layer on top of heavier, denser salt water’. ‘During the rainy season, the top layer of soil holds rain water this can be collected by a digging a tank and test the water quality for potable level and seal the tank and allow the top layer of rain water percolate into the tank, such rain water harvesting structures in sand dunes of coastal Sirkali-Poompuhar region gives potable water as per the structure and research undertaken by SEVAI in 6 locations’ Dr.K.Govindaraju shared his experiences in collecting rain water in most difficult sand dunes of the coastal region of Bay of Bengal.P.Chitra, Project Director, SEVAI her welcoming address mentioned that such programs will be conducted in all Blocks where SEVAI operates and this will continue upto 22^nd March. Sathivel Research associate of EcoN proposed vote of thankls.SHG members participated in this water day program.-Etram News Service