Drought-prone villages to get water conservation projects

TNN | May 29, 2013, 05.40 AM IST

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READ MORE Agriculture Department|MGNRE|Magsaysay Award|Drought-Prone Village

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PUNE: The state government has decided to implement water conservation projects in a cluster of 10-15 drought-prone gram panchayats under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. Under the scheme, a few pilot projects will be taken up soon at locations near Pune, Thane, Satara, Sangli, Solapur, Buldhana, Washim, Yavatmal, Nashik, Ahmednagar, Nandurbar, Hingoli, Latur, Beed and Osmanabad.

Water conservationist and Magsaysay award winner Rajendra Singh on Monday met the officials of the state agriculture department regarding implementation of the projects. Singh said that a meeting to chalk out an action plan for the projects will be held at Yashada on June 13.

Speaking to media persons, Singh was critical of the drought relief works being implemented by the state government. Singh, who visited ten drought-affected villages in Sangli district, said in the name of relief work, only fodder to cattle camps and drinking water is being supplied. He alleged that the water supplied to people is not fit for drinking. "I came across a village where people were affected by drinking water supplied to them by tankers," he said, adding that the relief measures only seem to benefit the contractors.

As per a government resolution (GR) issued in mid-March, the works of the pilot projects were supposed to be taken up during the present summer season. In its directive, the government said the projects would cover an area of around 5,000-7,500 hectares. Besides, various NGOs working in the field of water conservation will provide technical assistance for the projects.

According to the GR, district collectors will be the conveners of the district-level committees, which will select the gram panchayats, for implementation of the projects. However, for implementation of the projects, permissions of the gram panchayats and gram sabhas is a must.

The areas for, where the projects will be implemented, should have a hilly terrain and light soil, the directive said. Local youths as well as residents will be involved for keeping a track on the progress of the works, the directive added.