By IANS,
New Delhi : The government is planning to convene a meeting of chief ministers to discuss the issue of water management, Water Resources Minister Salman Khurshid said Monday, adding that a new water policy will be formulated by next year.
Delivering the keynote address at an international conference on ‘Blue Revolution: Charting South Asia’s Water Future’ organised by the Observer Research Foundation in association with the PHD Chamber of Commerce here, the minister said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had agreed to address a day-long meeting of chief ministers to discuss the issue of water management, its storage and utilisation.
He also said the government was formulating a new water policy which will look at the issues of environment and development.
India’s current National Water Policy was adopted in 2002.
“We are sitting on a volcano and a major crisis is staring at us,” Khurshid said, adding that his ministry is keen to make water conservation a people’s movement to help change the people’s mindset.
He said the ministry intends to observe “Water Week” from next year.