Building dams no longer viable: Paatil

Jal Shakti Minister C R Paatil on Friday said building new dams was no longer a viable and long-term water management solution due to high costs, land acquisition hurdles, and shrinking river flows.

The minister urged states to align with the Centre's push for conservation and emphasised the need for collective action.

"We all know water gives life, but it also gives destruction when we fail to manage it," Paatil said.

He noted that while India has 18 per cent of the world's population and livestock, it has access to only 4 per cent of global freshwater resources.

"We need water every moment, but we have not been able to organise it properly," he said.

Highlighting the difficulties in constructing new dams, he said, "We have more than 6,500 dams, but we still store only about 750 BCM of water. It takes 25 years and Rs 25,000 crore to build a dam. Do we have that much time? Do we have that much money?" Paatil further said the high cost, land acquisition hurdles, and shrinking river flows are key hurdles in pursuing a dam-based water storage strategy. he government has shifted focus to large-scale water conservation, community participation, and groundwater recharge through the ‘Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari’ (JSJB) initiative and the Jal Shakti Abhiyan, he said.

The minister highlighted the "rapid expansion" of JSJB structures, crediting citizens for 'translating the prime minister's words into action".