New Delhi, June 26 (IANS) Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta on Thursday called for urgent, multi-layered institutional action to safeguard the capital’s water future.

Speaking at a seminar titled “Jal aur Prakriti (Water and Environment)”, organised by Sampurna NGO to mark 30 days of its 40-day awareness programme, Gupta said a discussion would be taken up in the Assembly for the effectiveness of the Wetland Authority under the Department of Environment.

The experts at the seminar were unanimous on the issue that community participation, scientific awareness, and institutional resolve must drive Delhi’s response to its water and environmental challenges.

Emphasising the need to institutionalise water education, Gupta cited the North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power as a model for focused academic engagement on water management and stressed the importance of moving in this direction.

Gupta highlighted the urgent need to rejuvenate water bodies by blending traditional knowledge systems with modern techniques and proposed scaling up rainwater harvesting.

He suggested that urban waterlogging during monsoons could be turned into an opportunity for groundwater recharge, stating, “We must transform rainwater from a liability into a lifeline.”

Stressing the importance of collaborative governance, he said, “When government institutions work hand-in-hand with public organisations, the impact is not just incremental – it is transformative.”

The Speaker also drew attention to the significance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s flagship Mission Amrit Sarovar, which aims to rejuvenate 75 water bodies in every district.

He also highlighted the Centre’s ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain – 2025’, which focuses on rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge, and climate-resilient water management.

“These are not just government campaigns; they are a blueprint for national revival,” he said, adding that public participation can turn even the gravest challenges into opportunities.

Founder President of Sampurna, Shobha Vijender, emphasised that water is no longer an unlimited resource and highlighted the importance of mindful and responsible consumption.

“If we fail to change our consumption habits today, we are borrowing a grave concern from tomorrow,” she warned.

Among the attendees were water experts like Diwan Singh, who spoke about the need for rainwater harvesting on a massive scale, Jai Kumar Goel, Sanjay Poddar, Dr Naresh, among others.

–IANS

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