Is the role of the union water resources ministry merely that of a “public relation officer?
” We invite your comments on this interview. Q. The water crisis is deepening in India. Why have you failed to deal with the problem? Thakur: Countries that have been able to manage their water resources efficiently are much more advanced today than those who have mismanaged it. In India, we have failed to manage water. We have not been able to implement many water-related projects due to opposition from several fronts. Most of the projects today stand incomplete so their costs have escalated manifold. Another major factor is that the role of the water resources ministry is just of a “public relation officer”, who liaisons between state governments. All the powers are in the hands of state governments. We must have a coordinated effort to find a solution. We have planned to call members of parliament from all over the country to discuss the water scarcity issue with them. We would seek their views and cooperation, as to how the projects can be implemented in which a huge amount of the
