Sunday, 05 March 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The State’s Irrigation minister Satpal Maharaj has directed the departmental officials to prepare a detailed work plan for repairing damaged and operation worthy canals, make necessary budgetary provision and execute the work without delay. He directed that immediate action should be taken to operate all canals in view of possible shortage of water in the coming summer season. The minister issued these directions to officials while chairing a meeting to review works of the Irrigation and Minor Irrigation departments here on Saturday.
Maharaj said that tanks should be constructed to collect the additional water flowing from water sources and mountain streams in the mountainous areas so that the water can be used for drinking purposes during the summer season. He directed the officials to prepare a new detailed project report for construction of Lastar canal in Rudraprayag district and start work on the same, while adding that the use of pipes bought in the past for supplying water should also be ensured in the new detailed project report. Regarding rehabilitation in the Jamrani and Song dam projects, the minister said that compensation and other actions should be ensured only after clarifying the situation regarding joint accounts and absence of division among the affected persons. He said that due to dredging and riverbed material not being quarried in various rivers of the State, the level of the riverbed rises and results in flood and waterlogging every year.
Considering this, the department should identify such spots by April 2023 and ensure the riverbed material quarrying or channelisation of rivers through the district magistrate concerned. The minister further said that effective action should be taken for approval of the Central Government for the Jamrani and Song dam projects, adding that officials should be appointed specially for this purpose and issued necessary directions. A special workshop should also be organised regarding dam safety of all the dams situated in the State. Discussing safety aspects related to all the dams, a work plan should also be prepared on this aspect, said Maharaj. In addition to this, a safety analysis of all water reservoirs in the State from the viewpoint of earthquakes should also be conducted, he stressed.
