JAIPUR: Chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday said Rajiv Gandhi Jal Sanchay Yojana was an ambitious scheme whose main objective was to increase the ground water level and to prepare water harvesting structures. He said water catchment development works should be approved on priority in all the departments related to the scheme so that projects could start soon after monsoon.
Gehlot was reviewing the progress of works related to watershed development and land conservation through video conferencing from the chief minister's residence on Monday. He said the progress made in the Rajiv Gandhi Jal Sanchay Yojana should be reviewed every month at the state level.
He also directed the collectors and in-charge secretaries at the district levels to review the works of the scheme from time to time.
The chief minister said that state had faced famines and droughts many times. He said water availability had increased in areas with low rainfall due to projects under NREGA and construction of water harvesting structures. He said under NREGA and watershed development works, a study should be conducted on the increase in ground water level from the structures like anicut, pond and rivulets etc.
He said activities like farm pond, khadin and diggi construction should be encouraged by promoting rainwater harvesting works so that the water of farms remain in the field.
Secretary panchayati raj department Manju Rajpal told in her presentation that Rajiv Gandhi Jal Sanchay Yojana was launched in the state on August 20, 2019. In the first phase, 4029 villages have been included in 1,450 village panchayats. He said the selection of works and geo-tagging of all the projects was being done using GIS technology for transparency and effective monitoring.
Rajpal informed that 247 lakh hectares was available for water catchment development in the state. Out of this, water harvesting development works were being done in 124 lakh hectares. In the remaining 123 lakh hectares, a comprehensive plan had been prepared for watershed development and sent to the central government.
