Involve SHGs in water management, maintenance: Union Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba
Hyderabad: Union Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba on Thursday conducted video conference with Chief Secretaries, Administrators of States and Union Territories and Secretaries of central ministries on Jal Shakti Abhiyan.
He emphasised the need for all States to complete inventorization of all water bodies, including geo tagging and preparation of scientific plan. He suggested that funds available under MGNREGA, CAMPA, and Finance Commission etc can be utilized for water conservation activities.
He complimented the Chief Secretaries for building more than 75 thousand new water bodies under Amrit Sarovar programme last year as part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsa.
As the theme of this year’s Jal Shakti Abhiyan is Nari Shakti se Jal Shakti, Union Cabinet Secretary asked the States to involve the women Self Help Groups (SHGs) and train them in water management and maintenance. He stressed the need for increased role of women in decision making on water use.
He also wanted the States to put in place a comprehensive operation and maintenance (O&M) policy for rural and urban water supply. He stressed the need to maintain quality of drinking water supply through proper chlorination.
Officials were told to strictly enforce rainwater harvesting byelaws and also focus their attention on encroachments of water bodies in urban areas.
Desilting and cleaning of water bodies, revitalising abandoned defunct borewells for groundwater recharge, geo tagging of water bodies and updation in state and revenue records, intensified afforestation in catchment areas and rejuvenation of small rivers are some of the areas of special focus of Jal Shakti Abhiyan, he added.
Chief Secretary A Santhi Kumari, Principal Secretary PR&RD Sandeep Kumar Sultania, Special Secretary Irrigation Prashant Jeevan Patil and other officials attended the video conference.