IT was Indeed an interesting move to have a workshop on water-related issues, participated by students of the region, experts on the subject and teachers. The inadequacy or complete absence of material on water-related issues in the text books for school children of higher classes was criticised by the students and experts alike and a common demand for inclusion of this important subject was unanimously raised. The participants drawn from India, Pakistan. Nepal. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh expressed the opinion that the text books published by boards are inadequate as regards content and suggested selection of books by writers across the region. It is true that with the passage of time a lot of changes and experiments have been made with subject matters and their presentations and in many areas incomplete and out-of-context studies were incorporated for the school children.

Experts expressed the opinion that students should learn more about their own rivers and their problems, particularly pollution. Judicious use of water and dumping of chemical wastes In the waterbodies. An expert from Delhi Dr Ashis Nandy was critical of construction of dams in his country because of their resultant consequences and advocated use of indigenous knowhow instead of borrowing theories from abroad.

The South Aslan Children Workshop on Alternative Water Management has been a step In the right direction. It promises to bring the future generations of the neighbouring countries together and give them the scope for developing mutual understanding and a chance to know and appreciate each other s problems. We hope similar regional meets will be organised in the best Interest of children in South Asia.