Glacier preservation discussed during national-level workshop

The Department of Geophysics, Kurukshetra University (KU), in association with the Indian National Chapter of the International Association of Hydrogeologists (INC-IAH), organised a national workshop to mark World Water Day on Saturday.

In his presidential address, KU Vice-Chancellor Som Nath Sachdeva said, each year, World Water Day focused on a specific theme related to water, sanitation and hygiene, aligning with the targets of Sustainable Development Goal-6 (SDG-6), which aimed to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030.

These themes have guided global campaigns, educational initiatives and policy discussions, fostering a deeper understanding of water-related challenges, the VC added, stating that it coincided with the release of the United Nations World Water Development Report, which provided valuable insights into global water trends and challenges. Haryana Higher Education Council Vice-Chairman SK Gakha, as the chief guest at the workshop, emphasised the importance of glacier preservation for availability of freshwater.

He advocated for sustainable water management and said the accelerated melting of glaciers due to climate change would result in reduced water supply, disrupted water cycles, increased water scarcity and threats to the ecosystems.

Anurag Khanna, former Member of CGWB and Regional Director of NWR-CGWB, Chandigarh, as the guest of honour at the event, emphasised the issues and challenges in groundwater management in the state, and neighbouring states. Dr Jagvir Singh of Ministry of Earth Sciences, New Delhi; Baldev Setia of NIT, Kurukshetra; Dr PK Mishra, Scientist, NIH; and Dr Chandrakanta Ojha of IISER, Mohali, delivered expert talks on various facets of water resource conservation and management for sustainable livelihood.