TURA, July 1 - Jal Shakti Abhiyan was launched here today by Commissioner and Secretary, Community and Rural Developmenr department (C&RD), Meghalaya, P Sampath Kumar.
The campaign aims to target water stressed areas for stocktaking and conservation initiatives since India is facing deficit monsoon season and widespread water shortages and also to increase the water table in water stressed areas.
A review meeting of Deputy Commissioners of eleven districts was also held today simultaneously through video conferencing from NIC, Tura. Deputy Commissioners, Project Directors, Block Development Officers and other officials of the districts attended the meeting.
In the review meeting, Kumar emphasised on the strategy and action for taking up Water Conservation and National Rural Mission (NRM) related works during the monsoon season as part of Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA), a nationwide Water Campaign launched by Government of India from July 1 to September 15.
Stating that the campaign is time-bound and on a mission mode which will be implemented phase wise, he said that phase I commences from July 1 to September 15, while phase II will be from October 1 this year to March 31, 2020, which will be used for construction of big structure or multipurpose dam in any identified location especially in water stressed areas.
The main objective of the Water Campaign is to ramp up rain water harvesting and conservation efforts so as to promote efficient use of water especially during the dry months, he added.
During the meeting, he also directed the Block Development Officers to identify water stressed areas/villages and to come up with model plan estimate and other interventions including rain water harvesting, spring shed development, renovation of traditional water bodies, revive and reuse borewell structures, etc.
Referring to the mass plantation during World Environment Day recently, he also suggested for intensive afforestation in water catchment areas of the districts. Mentioning about the grey water treatment in Punjab where the used water from the bathrooms were connected to a pond, which is then treated and can be used for washing of clothes, watering the garden, etc, he said that over here we do not know where the sewage water goes and stressed on the need to make soak-pits or other options to recharge ground water in the area.
He stressed on the need to involve as many people as possible including SHGs, VECs, NGOs, community, students, and others to cooperate and support in the campaign for water security in the respective districts.
