Dharmashala (Himachal Pradesh), March 23 (ANI): The Tibetan Women's Association (TWA) observed World Water Day in north Indian hill town Dharmashala on Tuesday evening here.

New Delhi Mar 22 PTI The intense heatwave that has gripped large parts of India so early this summer is proof that this is the age of climate change and it can have severe implications for water security the Centre for Science and Environment said on TuesdaySpeaking on the occasion of World Water Day CSE Director General Sunita Narain said climate mitigation has to be about water and its managementWhat does this intense heat wave that has hit large parts of India so early this summer really mean It means especially today as we mark the World Water Day that this is the age of climate change It also means that how we deal with our water in the coming days will determine whether we would survive such extreme climatic conditionsWe all know that climate change impacts are about increased heat and scorching temperatures and about variable and extreme rain Both have a direct correlation with the water cycle Therefore climate change mitigation has to be about water and its management Narain saidIndia is witnessing a repeat of 2021 conditions when temperatures touched 40 degrees Celsius as early as February in some parts of the country said Avantika Goswami deputy programme manager climate change CSEThis was when 2021 was the year of the La Nia the Pacific water currents that are known to bring cooler temperatures globally Indian weather scientists have informed that global warming has offset this cooling effect of La Nia Goswami saidCSE researchers pointed out that rising heat has severe implications for water security and to begin with it would mean greater evaporation from water bodiesIt means that we need to work not just on storing water in millions of structures but also plan for reducing losses due to evaporation Its not that evaporation losses did not happen in the past but the rate of evaporation will now increase with the soaring temperatures CSE saidAccording to researchers Indias irrigation planners and bureaucracies have largely depended on canals and other surface water systems they should not discount the management of groundwater systemsIncreased heat can also lead to drying up of moisture in soils the CSE said adding that it will make the land dusty and will increase the need for irrigationIn a country like India where the bulk of food is still grown in rain-fed regions it will intensify land degradation and dust bowl formations This means water management must go hand in hand with vegetation planning to improve the ability of soils to hold water even in times of intense and prolonged heat it saidThe organisation cautioned that heat will drive up the use of water from drinking and irrigation to fighting fires in forests or buildingsWe have already seen devastating forest fires rage in many parts of the world and in the forests of India This will only increase as temperatures go up The demand for water will increase with climate change making it even more imperative that we do not waste -- either water or wastewater it saidCSE also said climate change is already showing up in terms of the increasing number of extreme rain eventsThis means that we can expect rain to come as a flood making the cycle of floods followed by droughts even more intense India already has fewer rainy days in a year -- it is said that it rains for just 100 hours on average in a year Now the number of rainy days will further go down but extreme rainy days will increase it saidWe needed to be obsessive about water and its management yesterday because water is the basis of health and wealth But now we need to be more than obsessive We need to be determined and deliberate On this World Water Day in the age of climate change we need to know that the water agenda is the real make or break of our future said Narain PTI AG AG TDS TDS

New Delhi Mar 22 PTI Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday reiterated his call for saving every drop of water on World Water Day and said it is heartening to see water conversation become a mass movement over the last few years He also appreciated all individuals and organisations working towards conserving waterOn World Water Day lets reaffirm our pledge to save every drop of water Our nation is undertaking numerous measures like Jal Jeevan Mission to ensure water conservation and access to clean drinking water for our citizens Modi said in a tweetHe added Over the last few years it is heartening to see water conversation become a mass movement with innovative efforts taking place in all parts of the nation I would like to appreciate all those individuals and organisations who are working towards saving water Modi also posted a short video that showed his earlier messages about the importance of water preservation and his governments efforts in this regard PTI KR NSD NSD