Prepare road map to interlink rivers: CM Saini to officials

Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini today instructed officials to prepare a road map to interlink the rivers passing through the state. He said all ponds must be cleaned so that their water can be used for drinking by animals and irrigation, etc.

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With the cooperation of panchayats, villagers should be motivated to not let garbage and dirty water from homes enter the ponds, he said.

The CM was chairing a review meeting of the Haryana Pond and Waste Water Management Authority in Chandigarh on Thursday. Senior officials of various departments, including Development and Panchayats Department, Irrigation, Forest, Urban Local Bodies, Fisheries, Public Works Department and National Highway Authority of India were present.

Expressing concern over the falling groundwater level, Saini said in the first phase, a target of recharging groundwater of 500 villages should be set and the work should be completed within the stipulated period. He said the Prime Minister had said the depletion of groundwater was the biggest challenge for the country. He also called upon people to fight water pollution.

The CM said we should also work by the PM's vision and build as many ponds as possible in the dark zone to store water during the monsoon. This will not only improve the groundwater level but also allow for the use of water for other purposes. He also directed officials to explore the possibilities of using the Hansi-Butana link canal for storage.

Giving instructions on water management through a water audit in the state, the CM said the PM had recently launched the first phase of the National River Link Project. Interlinking the rivers would help in avoiding the damage caused by floods, and raising the groundwater level, he said.

The Amrit Sarita Yojana was envisaged in the Sankalp Patra, he said. Under this, the embankments of all canals and rivers had to be strengthened. The work could be done under the MGNREGA scheme. He also instructed officials to form a task force to stop the theft of canal water.

Giving instructions to make arrangements for water drainage through solar pumps to fix waterlogging in Charkhi Dadri, Jhajjar, Mahendragarh, Sonepat, Rohtak and some other areas, Saini said fish farming business could be started by making ponds in surrounding areas.

Instructing departments to work in coordination, he said, while the Amrit Sarovar Yojana would help in raising the groundwater level, the ponds must remain clean.