Time to turn WALMI into a water resources university: Water experts

Dharwad: With water scarcity expected to become one of the most serious challenges in the coming decades, water experts and academicians have urged the Karnataka govt to upgrade the Water and Land Management Institute (WALMI) in Dharwad into a full-fledged water resources university. They believe such an institution is essential to address the growing complexities of water management and ensure sustainable use of water resources.The demand has been raised by experts associated with WALMI, former directors of the institute and authorities from the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Dharwad. They say Karnataka is well positioned to take the lead in specialised education and research in water resource management.Former WALMI director and managing trustee of the Vishva Manava Foundation, Rajendra Poddar, has written to chief minister Siddaramaiah urging the state govet to establish a water resources university by upgrading WALMI.According to Poddar, although Karnataka receives considerable rainfall and has invested heavily in irrigation and water resource development projects, the demand for water continues to rise across the state. He warned that water management is becoming increasingly complex and experts have predicted a severe water crisis by 2030, largely driven by global warming and growing demand.He stressed that a specialised university dedicated to water resources could help develop sustainable solutions, strengthen research and improve scientific water management practices.Strong infrastructureEstablished in 1986, WALMI in Dharwad has played a key role in training engineers, planners and farmers in modern water management practices. The institute was recently declared a Centre of Excellence in Water Management by the Karnataka govt, highlighting its importance in the sector.Spread across 137 acres, WALMI has substantial infrastructure, including 75 acres of agricultural land, administrative and academic buildings, classrooms, laboratories, a guest house and hostel facilities. Experts say that since most of the infrastructure is already in place, the govt will not have major additional expenditure to upgrade the institute into a university.Chance for state to leadExperts believe that if the proposal materialises, Karnataka could become the first state in India to establish a dedicated water resources university focusing exclusively on water management, irrigation systems, watershed development, climate impacts and sustainable utilisation of water resources.A proposal has already been submitted to the state govt, and Poddar expressed hope that the initiative could be announced in the upcoming state budget.Supporting the proposal, Bharat Ekta Andolan president Mahadev Horatti said that despite significant investments in irrigation and water resource development, several challenges persist at the ground level. He pointed out that even though many regions receive good rainfall, increasing demand has made it difficult to meet water needs.Officials from UAS also noted that water demand often exceeds supply, leading to disputes over water sharing. They believe a water resources university could become an important centre for research, innovation and training, helping policymakers, engineers and farmers adopt better water management practices and prepare for future challenges.