On World Water Day, gram sabhas draw 22L participants

Chennai: The gram sabhas held on World Water Day in villages across Tamil Nadu saw more than 22 lakh people participating in them and discussing the importance of conserving water.Last year, chief minister M K Stalin had announced in the assembly that gram sabhas would be held on six days in a year instead of the earlier practice of holding it on four days - Jan 26, May 1, Aug 15 and Oct 2. It was extended to the World Water Day, March 22, and Local Governance Day on Nov 1. The first such meeting on World Water Day was held on Wednesday. While gram sabhas were held in 12,521 village panchayats, it was postponed in four villages due to law and order issues and in one owing to lack of quorum. Out of the 22.81 lakh people who participated, 58.6% were women and 41% men. Among the participants were 9,942 third genders. Rainwater harvesting, judicious use of water, repairing broken pipelines, recycling of water, increasing groundwater level, ensuring clean water supply, tree cultivation, nurturing a tree by every household and removing encroachments from water bodies were discussed. The village audit was also done at the meetings.Resolutions for implementing Jal Jeevan mission in all villages were passed in the meetings. The run-off from drinking water pipes should be saved in vacant land in villages, said Madurai district collector Aneesh Sekhar, who participated in the gram sabha in Alathur village.