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HYDERABAD, Dec. 25

POPULATION explosion, reckless deforestation and lack of awareness on the need to conserve water have been the main causes for the present day water problems either for drinking or irrigation purposes.

All efforts would have to be made to create conditions for better rainfall, save water and use it judiciously. This was the consensus at the National Consumers' Day celebrations held here jointly by the Consumer Care Centre, Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University's (ANGRAU) College of Home Science on the theme, "Quality and conservation of water".

Mr C. Muthyam Reddy, Minister for Consumer Affairs, who was the chief guest, said the State Government was doing everything possible to raise the groundwater level and increase forest cover which was around 21 per cent against the required 33 per cent.

The `Neeru Meeru' programme was aimed at creating awareness among people of the importance of water and its management.

Dr I.V. Subba Rao, Vice-Chancellor of ANGRAU, said that right to safe drinking water should be made a fundamental right.

Though water was aplenty, safe drinking water had become a dream. The problem needed to be solved on a war-footing by effecting suitable policy changes to conserve water.

Currently, 10 per cent of water was being saved which was unacceptable.

Mr P Harinath Reddy, MD of Twin Cities Mineral Waters (P) Ltd, said chemical contamination of water was due to the use of fertilisers and pesticides and groundwater was found to have lead, iron and arsenic content in it.

Dr Vimla, Principal of the college, said water was so polluted with nitrates, pathogens and metals that it was hazardous to consume it. Mr N. Ganesan, President of Consumer Information Centre, said that 80 per cent of diseases were water-borne and the quality and quantity of water was going down steeply.

Only 3 per cent of available water was fit for human consumption and of it, one per cent was underground and one per cent in snow form. The net availability was a mere one per cent posing threat to the survival of human and other species.

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