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The Water Pledge taken
by Ms. Roshni Hassan, Mrs. India United Nations 2017 at
University of Science & Technology Meghalaya
22nd March, 2017, USTM, Meghalaya
: World Water Day, on 22 March every year, is about taking
action to tackle the water crisis. Today, 1.8 billion people
use a source of drinking water contaminated with faeces,
putting them at risk of contracting cholera, dysentery,
typhoid and polio. The Sustainable Development Goals,
launched by United Nations in 2015, include a target to
ensure everyone has access to safe water by 2030, making
water a key issue in the fight to eradicate extreme poverty.
In 1993, the United Nations General Assembly officially
designated March 22 as World Water Day.
University of Science & Technology Meghalaya (USTM) always
takes a positive role in all consciousness raising programs
related to raging issues, be it social, economy, natural
environment or resources. The department of Earth Science
had recently conducted an International Earth Science
Conference to address the issues related to climate change
and other natural disaster to enlighten, encourage and
sensitize the challenges of sustainable resource management
and find ways to resolve those issues. In an overwhelming
gathering at USTM Techno City campus, the Water Pledge was
administered by Ms. Roshni Hassan, Mrs. India United Nations
2017 & Mrs India Earth 2016. It goes like this “I take an
oath to conserve water/ And to use water wisely. I pledge to
consume judiciously/ I’ll treat water as the most
precious/treasure that I possess and consume it”…… The
inaugural ceremony of the program was opened with welcome
address by Dr. R K Sharma, Pro VC, USTM who had reminded the
students the importance of saving water in their day to day
life for the sake of future generation and minimize water
disaster, although it seems insignificant for the time
being. Dr. P G Rao, VC, USTM had urged the students not just
to gather knowledge about the ways to conserve water but to
disseminate the message to the neighbors, community,
friends, everyone who ever they come across in their daily
life. Mrs. Rasmi Hassan, Chief Guest of the program had
enumerated how water affects when we face the crisis and
therefore” it is the need of the hour to shake off all
inhibitions and come forward for the sake of ensuring a
better life to those who do not have the facility to avail
clean water”- she added. Ms. Smruti Sweta, Leader of Walk
for Water Campaign for Assam and Climate Reality, had
displayed a power point presentation on A Boat Without River
through which she upheld the dismal picture of people’s
denial to accept the importance of conserving water through
conscious and judicious use of water, how to mitigate the
issues of water scarcity, water hazards or diseases both at
the individual and community level through different
technologies available. It was followed by observing one
minute silence to pay a homage to those died out of use of
contaminated water.
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