ICAR-Indian Institute of Water Management, Bhubaneswar, celebrated World Water Day 2025

Bhubaneswar:25/3/25:ICAR-Indian Institute of Water Management, Bhubaneswar, celebrated World Water Day 2025 with the theme “Preserving Glaciers” on 22.03.2025. Dr. A. Sarangi, Director, ICAR-IIWM, Bhubaneswar in his welcome address presented the salient achievements of the Institute. The chief guest of the event was Dr. A. K. Nayak, Director, ICAR-CRRI, Cuttack and Guests of Honours were Dr. A. Velmurugan, ADG (SWM), NRM, ICAR, and Dr. B. K. Sahoo, Regional Director, CGWB, SER, Bhubaneswar; Er. Padma Dorje, Chief Engineer, POMIO, Central Water Commission, New Delhi delivered the World Water Day lecture. The chief guest emphasized climate change which causes glacier melt related to greenhouse gas emissions from unsustainable agricultural practices. Future research should focus on the preservation of water resources in terms of quality and quantity in line with achieving sustainable developmental goals.

During these events, publications of CAR-IIWM’s were released by the dignitaries. Progressive farmers from the adopted villages were awarded for their achievements in agricultural water management and the school students were awarded for their speech on World Water Day. The event was followed by four technical sessions under national brainstorming workshop on “Groundwater and the water-food-energy nexus- Challenges and Opportunities.

A total 19 keynote speakers delivered their lectures under the themes namely groundwater status and management; conjunctive and sustainable groundwater utilization for enhancing agricultural water productivity; groundwater-food-energy nexus; and groundwater quality, water governance, and policy. Experts from ICAR-IIWM, ICAR-NIAP, International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT, Kharagpur, IIT, Bhubaneswar, IIT, Delhi & IIT, Guwahati), Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), North Eastern Regional Institute of Water and Land Management (NERIWALM), State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) like OUAT, MPKV, PAU, TNAU, JAU joined in this event. The programme was organized by Dr. S. K. Jena, Principal Scientist cum Organizing Secretary besides the dedicated team of scientists of ICAR-IIWM, Bhubaneswar.