By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 19 Apr: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami held a review meeting of the Peyjal (Drinking Water) Department at the Secretariat, here, today. Dhami directed the officials to resolve all the problems related to drinking water on priority basis, keeping in mind the upcoming summer season. He ordered that all the District Magistrates, officers of the Peyjal Department to take feedback of the drinking water situation down to the village level in the districts. He also stressed upon the need to do more work to make Ganga and its tributaries cleaner.
He reminded that Uttarakhand had emerged as a model state in the field of cleanliness of River Ganga.
The CM said that a concrete action plan should be prepared on revival and rejuvenation of water sources and towards rain water harvesting. Everyone would have to make joint efforts towards water conservation. Public cooperation is also necessary in this. He said that water meters should be installed in urban and rural areas. Work should be done on long term development plans for water conservation. People should be made aware by forming cleanliness committees for water harvesting and river cleanliness in the state.
In view of the upcoming Chardham Yatra, well-planned arrangements should be made for water supply. Sufficient water ATMs of high quality should be installed on these routes. Water quality should also be displayed along with water ATMs. He said that Chardham Yatra is a symbol of faith. Lakhs of devotees from the country and abroad come to Uttarakhand. It is the responsibility of the state government to provide better facilities to the devotees. The Chief Minister said that it should be ensured that sufficient water is available in accessible toilets on the yatra routes. Arrangement of water ATM/tubewells should also be ensured for water supply under the Manaskhand Mandir Mala Mission.
Dhami emphasised on the need for more efforts to make Ganga and its tributaries clean in the works being done for the purity and cleanliness of Ganga in the state under the Namami Gange scheme. He said that it is the collective responsibility of all the people of the state that the Ganga flows clean and pure from the state. He said that strict action should be taken against those who spread sewer water, garbage and filth in the rivers within the state. Under the Namami Gange scheme, promptness should also be shown on preparing the DPR of the proposed schemes on the Ganga and its tributaries and sending them to the Centre.
The CM said that the Jal Jeevan Mission is the dream project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The work of Jal Jeevan Mission should be expedited. The Chief Minister said it should be ensured that pure quality drinking water is available in the houses where taps have been installed under the Jal Jeevan Mission. A campaign should be launched to provide tap water to every house. The practical problems being faced for the availability of drinking water should be resolved quickly.
In the meeting, information about various schemes related to drinking water was given through a comprehensive presentation by Secretary Nitesh Kumar Jha.
Chief Secretary Dr SS Sandhu, Additional Chief Secretary Radha Raturi, Secretary Shailesh Bagauli, Additional Secretary Uday Raj Singh, and District Magistrates of all the districts were present via video conferencing.
