Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 06 March 2025
Admiral D K Joshi, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, NM, VSM (Retd.), Hon’ble Lt. Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Vice-Chairman of the Islands Development Agency, attended the inaugural session of the 10th International Groundwater Conference–2025 at the National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee. The conference, themed ‘Groundwater Vision 2047 – Towards Water Security Under Changing Climate’, aims to address critical challenges related to water conservation and management.
In his address, the Lt. Governor highlighted the achievement of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in becoming the country’s first Swachh Sujal Pradesh in September 2022, a distinction conferred by the Ministry of Jal Shakti’s Department of Water Resources, River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation. He emphasised the pressing concerns of water availability in the islands and called upon the scientific community to focus on research in key areas, including:
– Revival of Japanese wells, similar to those in Car Nicobar.
– Development of efficient desalination methods.
– Formulation of an action plan for water management in the islands to prevent saline water intrusion.
– Enhancement of existing water infrastructure using advanced rainwater harvesting technologies.
The conference serves as a significant platform for policymakers, researchers, and experts to collaborate on sustainable solutions for groundwater conservation in the face of climate change.