New Delhi, Aug 24 (IANS): Case study from Hyderabad on the steps it took to become 'water positive' through the 'City Water Balance Plan' (CWBP) was showcased at a virtual session of the World Water Week 2021 on Monday.
The e-CWBP Toolkit that acts as a decision support system for the municipalities and sector stakeholders to implement the government of India's $40 billion Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban's) initiative was also launched at the session, a release said here.
The World Water Week 2021 is being organised by the Stockholm International Water Institute.
"Hyderabad is rapidly expanding and extending piped water supply to the residents beyond the city in the peripheral areas. This is made possible by the vision and investment in the water sector by the state government, support of the Union government, and addressing the core water scarcity problems through social and technological interventions.
"The e-toolkit 'Making Cities Water Positive' assists gap identification and provides knowledge translation strategies for making water-secure cities," said M. Dana Kishor, Managing Director, Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB).
Due to rapid urbanisation, lack of infrastructure and climate change, cities continue to be water-stressed while water is being transported from distant regions at high costs.
Joint secretary at the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), D. Thara, said, "The scarcity of water has always been a concern when it comes to survival and livelihood. We need to encourage all the stakeholders to participate actively and make water everyone's business to create water-secure cities. Women should be involved to lead the water demand management."
The informative session also drew attention to the social and technological interventions to address water scarcity problems through demand management, increased water availability through recharge, reduced non-revenue water, creating infrastructure for reuse of treated wastewater, and citizen participation.
The Director General of the National Mission for Clean Ganga, Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, said: "Cities have to learn to live with rivers, build with nature and make room for rivers."
"The Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban) will focus on making cities water-secure, providing tap water connection in every urban household. The e-toolkit on 'Making Cities Water Positive' through 'City Water Balance Plan' can support ULBs in data-driven decision-making during project implementation," said Vinay Pratap Singh, Director AMRUT, MoHUA.