By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 20 Apr: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, today, held a review of the drinking water department at the Secretariat. During the meeting, he directed the officers to prepare a concrete action plan for the rejuvenation of water sources. He also directed them to draw up a plan on rain water harvesting, also.
The CM stressed that everyone would have to make efforts on water conservation. Public cooperation was also necessary for this. People’s participation would bring good results. He also stated that the responsibility of conservation and maintenance of trees planted or to be planted by any department would be of the department concerned, only. The department or organisation installing tubewells and handpumps would be responsible for their maintenance also.
Dhami added that the Jal Jeevan Mission is the dream project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Jal Jeevan Mission works ought to be further accelerated. The availability and supply of good quality drinking water to the homes where taps had been installed under the Jal Jeevan Mission should also be ensured, he directed. The CM further instructed the Peyjal (Drinking Water) Department to launch a campaign ensuring supply of water to every household. The practical problems being faced for the availability of drinking water ought to be resolved expeditiously. During summer, there ought to be no shortage of drinking water in any district of the state and along with the available resources, water tankers should also be made available to each district soon. He stressed that drinking water, health and education were issues of top priority.
Chief Minister Dhami emphasised that well-planned arrangements should be made for water supply along the Char Dham routes in view of the upcoming Yatra. Five hundred high quality water ATMs should be installed on Chardham Yatra routes. Water quality should also be displayed with the water ATM. He reminded that the Chardham Yatra was a symbol of faith. Lakhs of devotees from all over the country come every season to Uttarakhand. It was the state’s responsibility to provide better facilities to the devotees. He said that availability of adequate water also ought to be ensured in the toilets along the Yatra routes.
Secretary, Drinking Water, Nitesh Kumar Jha informed the CM that, under the Jal Jeevan Mission, work is being done at a fast pace in Uttarakhand. Uttarakhand ranks sixth in the country on progress of work under the Jal Jeevan Mission. Schools and Anganwadi centres have been covered 100 percent under Jal Jeevan Mission. Under the Jal Jeevan Mission Rural, 62 percent connections of the state have been provided, so far. A target has been set to make it 100 percent by December 2023. Out of 280 schemes under the NABARD Fund, 244 had been completed, while the remaining 36 would be completed this year. Out of 23 schemes under Namami Gange, 19 had been completed, while work on the remaining four is in progress. In the past 5 years, out of 336 announcements made by the CM on Drinking Water, orders for 293 had already been issued. Of these, 133 had been completed while work on the remaining 160 is in progress.
Chief Secretary Dr SS Sandhu, Additional Chief Secretary Anand Vardhan, Additional Secretary Nitin Bhadauria, Meherban Singh Bisht, Udayraj and other officials concerned were present.