India International Water Week 2026 Begins: Vice-President Asks Citizens to Save Every Drop

## What Happened Vice-President Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan launched the 9th India International Water Week 2026 on September 22. The event is being held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The Ministry of Jal Shakti is organising it for five days, from September 22 to 26. This year, the focus is on “Climate Resilient Water Management.” At the event, the Vice-President launched two new tools. One is the Sustainable Urban River Management (SURM) Framework. The other is an AI and machine learning system for managing sediment in reservoirs. Union Minister for Jal Shakti Shri C. R. Patil and Ministers of State Shri V. Somanna and Shri Raj Bhushan Choudhary were also present. Experts and delegates from India and other countries joined the programme. ## Why It Matters India is home to about 18 per cent of the world's people. But it has only about 4 per cent of the world's freshwater. It also covers only about 2.4 per cent of the world's land area. This means every drop counts for you and for the country. The Vice-President said water is the base of life and of civilisations. He shared that he grew up in Tamil Nadu and saw water scarcity himself. He asked citizens to change small daily habits. He said, “We can take a bath using two buckets or twenty buckets. The choice is ours.” He also reminded people to close the tap while brushing their teeth. He said climate change, fast urban growth and a rising population are making water management harder. He called for better river-basin management, groundwater recharge, rainwater harvesting and efficient irrigation. He also said India must move from reacting to water problems to predicting them with the help of technology. As India works towards becoming a developed economy by 2047, he said smart and sustainable water use will be key. ## Key Points - The Vice-President launched the SURM Framework and an AI/ML-based reservoir sediment management system. - He said 10 inter-State agreements on water sharing have been signed so far. - He praised the Kishau Multipurpose Project agreement among six States as a strong example of teamwork. - He recalled his 19,000-km Ratha Yatra across Tamil Nadu, which spread awareness about river interlinking and water conservation. - He said river interlinking can help when some regions face floods and others face drought. - He supported the Prime Minister's call for “Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari” and urged people to make water saving a mass movement. - He said, “Jal Suraksha will lead to Jan Suraksha and Rashtra Suraksha.”