Entire Jharkhand to have a single water policy

Ranchi: Chief Minister Raghubar Das in a key decision has directed that in the entire state there would be only one water policy. He has approved the proposal to form an interdepartmental committee for a common water policy instead of having different departments and their respective water conservation and other schemes related to water management. Under the new water policy, all the works related to water conservation renewal of water sources and optimum utilization of rainwater related works would be collectively implemented.

For water conservation and irrigation, the water resources department drinking water and sanitation department Rural Development Department Urban Development and housing department forest environment department and Agriculture animal husbandry and cooperative department Run different type of schemes for which they have their separate budgets. In the case of having a unified scheme, it would be advantageous that in any area double schemes would not be implemented.

This interdepartmental committee would be headed by the development commissioner while Secretary of the water resources department would be the member secretary of this committee. The other members of this committee would include the secretaries of forest and environment department Rural Development Department Urban Development and housing department drinking water and cleanliness department agriculture and animal husbandry and cooperative department.

Keeping in mind the budgetary allocation of the different departments for water conservation and water irrigation this joint scheme would be known as the water policy of the state. This is team would be Run in a campaign mode in a time-bound manner across the state and awareness regarding this scheme would also be done among the people and after every 15 days its monitoring would be made. For the successful execution of the scheme in the entire state information and public relation department along with the media would be creating awareness campaigns among the people.

In the governing council meeting of Niti Aayog which was held in New Delhi on June 15 rainwater harvesting was the prime agenda. In the meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked all the states to run a campaign over Water conservation and water irrigation in their respective states and had asked that works of the different departments should be combined in one so that they can be carried out in a planned manner.