Department of Information and Public Relations

Press Release No. 30/24

CURTAIN RAISER FOR THE INTERNATIONAL WATER CONCLAVE AT STATE CONVENTION CENTRE

The curtain raiser for the International Water Conclave was held today at the State Convention Centre Shillong, featuring Meghalaya's Water Resources Minister, Coming One Ymbon, as the chief guest. The program includes engaging activities such as painting, quiz, and photo competitions centered around water conservation.

Addressing the significance of conservation, Dr Shakil P Ahammed, Additional Chief Secretary of Meghalaya, urged the youth to embrace the spirit of preserving nature and water. Emphasizing the intergenerational responsibility, he stressed the need for sustainable practices to secure the future.

He also said our fathers have conserved water, they have been conserving nature, which we are enjoying today. If we don’t save our planet, if we don’t protect water, if we don’t protect nature, the coming generation will have a lot of problems.

“We need to understand the value of nature. If we take the total water which is available in India probably by 2040, the shortfall would be around 63 billion cubic metres of water between supply and demand,” he said.

Ymbon, in his address, highlighted the challenges of a potential water shortfall by 2040 and the importance of reducing usage, recycling water, and respecting resources. He urged the younger generation to take a pledge for a better planet and applauded participants for their commitment. “Am aware of my response for conserving water for the future generation, he requested the entire youth in our state to protect the environment and save water,” he added.

He further said  that we encounter a lot of challenges in preserving water like water scarcity, pollution and climate change. It is a collective response from all of us to concentrate and act to safeguard water resources for future generations. He also said close to 90 percent of rain water flows either to Bangladesh or to Assam. We need to protect and conserve it for sustainability and for future availability of water.

The Conclave also witnessed insights from various experts and officials, addressing the global water crisis, pollution, and climate change. With hopes for a roadmap to secure water resources, the event underscores the collective responsibility needed to safeguard this invaluable resource.