Jal Kranti Abhiyan kicked off

Tribune News Service

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Shimla, June 5

Union Minister of State for Water Resources and River Development Sanwar Lal Jat today launched the Jal Kranti Abhiyan 2015-2016. He urged the state government to make the programme successful by taking it to the grassroots level.

Launching the abhiyan in the presence of Irrigation and Public Health (IPH) Minister Vidya Stokes, Jat said the Union Government was launching the drive from three places today, covering 672 water deficient districts in the country, including all districts of the state.

“The main thrust of Jal Kranti is to recover receding underground water table, river-basin planning and irrigation water management, conservation and rejuvenation of traditional resources and save water,” Jat said.

He underscored the need for optimum utilisation of water resources and recharging depleted underground water, which has crossed the danger mark due to excessive exploitation.

“Water and blood are two components which cannot be produced in factories and we need to save and conserve them for better future,” he said.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to make water conservation a true public movement, the minister urged the state to join hands to develop at least one ‘jal gram’ in each district to make the abhiyan successful.

Stokes said the state had rivers, water springs and khuds, but due to the increasing population pressure, it was facing water scarcity in summers.

“We have 53,604 habitations and have given water to 34,362. We are planning to give water to 2,000 habitations this year,” she claimed.

The state had just 10.5 per cent cultivable land of its geographical area and had earmarked 3.35 lakh hectare area for irrigation on priority basis while 2.63 lakh hectare had been covered under irrigation. This year, the state has targeted to cover 3,500 hectare,” Stokes added.

Director, Central Water Commission, Dr RN Sankau gave a presentation on integrated water resources management and water quality, highlighting the importance of water conservation.