CM chairs meeting on ADCs on water conservation

Pothashang News Service: Imphal, August 6, 2019: Chief Minister N. Biren Singh chaired a meeting of Chairmen and Members of Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) of different hill districts regarding rain water harvesting under different schemes at Chief Minister’s Secretariat today.

Speaking in the meeting, he urged ADC Chairmen and Members to join hand and co-ordinate with respective DCs in taking up water harvesting works in different villages. He suggested for holding meetings regularly and communicating among them for implementation of maximum work ahead of ADC elections due next year. He also emphasised that the resolutions taken in the meetings should be translated into action instead of keeping in the files.

Stating that Panchayati Raj Institutions of different valley districts had already started executing water harvesting/conservation works, he urged the ADCs to expedite works in hill districts. The State Government is planning to construct around 100 check dams at different foothills with financial assistance from the Centre for rain water harvesting, the Chief Minister advised the ADCs and DCs to identify streams where these dams can be constructed.

He recalled the Prime Minister’s directives during the 15^th Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog to mainly focus on rain water harvesting and water conservation works while implementing Central Government sponsored schemes like MGNREGS. He said that the State Government had already started taking up water harvesting schemes with the budget of Rs. 2 crore each at seven different places of hill areas to solve water scarcity in the lean season in hill districts.

It may be mentioned that the water conservation/harvesting works are being executed across the country under the Jal Shakti Abhiyan (Water Conservation Campaign) launched on July 1^st 2019 under the Ministry of Jal Shakti. The campaign focuses on water conservation and rain water harvesting, renovation of traditional and other water bodies; re-use of water and recharging structures, watershed development and intensive afforestation etc.

Chief Minister Shri N. Biren Singh had also chaired a meeting with elected members of Panchayati Raj Institutions on rain water harvesting and ground water conservation on June 27, 2019. The State Government has started implementing rain water harvesting through Minor Irrigation Department and funds from MGNREGS, Finance Commission grant and Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP).