New Delhi: Odisha has been placed among the low-performing states in the Composite Water Management Index report released by Niti Ayog for the year 2017-18.
According to the Niti Aayog report released here Friday, the state has secured 14th rank in the non-Himalayan states category. Odisha has slipped down from 13th position it had secured in 2016-17.
Gujarat held on to its top rank in the reference year (2017-18), followed by Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. In North Eastern and Himalayan states, Himachal Pradesh has been adjudged N0-1 in 2017-18 followed by Uttarakhand, Tripura and Assam.
While launching the report, Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said, “The issue of water is one that everyone in the country and the world is worried about. We will work on finding ways to help states that are lagging behind perform better on water management front and reports like these will help in making policies. The government will work on looking for solutions to desalinate water, make treated water available for industries and work on recharging groundwater.”
According to the report, large economic contributors have low-water management scores and poor management here can hamper India’s economic progress. “Given the indispensable role of water in any form of economic activity, water shortages can lead to reduced output in these states, and as a consequence, threaten India’s aspirations to be an economic superpower in the future,” the report adds.
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