PAU To Host Regional Convention Of Water Users Associations On August 25-26

Ludhiana, August 20, 2015: The “Regional Convention of Water Users Associations’ Presidents” will be held at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) on August 25-26. The Union Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (Mo WR,RD&GR); Indian Network on Participatory Irrigation Management and Punjab Agricultural University will jointly organize the convention.

Sushri Uma Bharati, Hon’ble Union Minister (Mo WR, RD&GR) will be the chief guest of the occasion. S. Sharanjit Singh Dhillon, Minister of Irrigation, Punjab, will accompany the Union Minister as well as address the delegates. The members and Presidents of Water User Associations (WUAs) of six states viz. Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh will be participating in the convention.

Giving details, the PAU Director Research, Dr Balwinder Singh said “Convening Regional Convention is an initiating step by the Ministry for strengthening participatory irrigation management in the country for equitable and optimum utilization of water resources.” PAU, due to its rich experience in water resource management, has been made the nodal agency for planning and conducting the convention, he highlighted. Various resource persons from the field of water management and participatory irrigation management shall be deliberating and interacting with the delegates, he added. It will provide a platform for discussion among the multi-stakeholders and holding brain storming sessions for making WUAs more effective functionally, he said. Further, Dr Singh said the agenda of the convention has been designed with an aim to provide free voice to the farmers and WUAs, thus, enabling them to raise their concerns, limitations and challenges. These Associations will also be actively involved in evolving viable solutions for the effective redressal of water management related concerns, he told. By organizing such conventions, the Ministry envisages to provide an open forum to the farmers and WUAs to candidly discuss the role of Union Ministry, State Governments and Water User Associations for harnessing and efficient utilization of water resources.