‘Children better at water conservation’

Nagpur: Mayor Nanda Jichkar on Tuesday urged schoolchildren to spread awareness about water conservation in the areas they live in. She was speaking at prize distribution ceremony of the state level painting competition for school students at Vanamati Agricultural Training Centre, Dharampeth.
“It is clear from this competition that children have given deep thought on how water is being wasted and reproduced that thought in paint. The credit goes to their teachers who have taught them to be careful in using water,” the mayor said.

The painting competition is an initiative of union ministry of water resources and the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), central region, Nagpur. Nearly 34,050 students of Std VI, VII and VIII from 214 schools of the state and Dadra and Nagar Haveli participated in the competition. Best 50 paintings were selected and the students were invited to the city for felicitation. The theme was ‘Save water, secure life’.

“The government has initiated many schemes for water conservation which can be highlighted through such programmes. When we compel children to think about water conservation we are ensuring that the generations which succeed them will embrace the idea better. The competition will also in some way educate adults,” said Jichkar.

Superintending hydrogeologist at CGWB PK Jain said, “A painting of one student depicted how water crisis has worsened over generations. It showed water in a well just below the surface two generations ago, then the level dropped a few feet deeper in the last generation. Now, a 100 feet rope is needed to draw water from the same well.”

Swayam Dingalwar of St Xavier’s High School, Wardhaman Nagar, secured the first position in the competition and got a cash prize of Rs5,000. Prachi Somaiya of Udayachal High School, Mumbai, and Vedika Sule of Shivaji High Secondary School, Amravati, came second and third respectively and received cash prize of Rs3,000 and Rs2,000 respectively. Ten students received consolation cash prizes worth Rs1,000 each.

The three toppers will represent Maharashtra in the national level painting competition to be held in New Delhi. The participants at the state level were selected in the preliminary competitions at the district level.