During the review of the Jalgam Department at the Jalgam Management Directorate, Indranagar on Thursday, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami instructed the officials that in the initial phase, two rivers of the state should be identified and work should be done towards their revival. In this, one river should be selected from Garhwal Mandal and one river from Kumaon Mandal. Small ponds should be built in areas sensitive to forest fires, public cooperation should also be taken in this. He said that along with the conservation of natural resources, special attention should be given by the Jalgam Department towards increasing the livelihood of the people. The Chief Minister directed the officials that in the construction of various projects, it should also be assessed whether it is having any effect on the water sources, work should also be done towards the revival of water sources affected by the construction of the schemes. Vibrant Village should also be given priority under the schemes run by Jalgam. The Chief Minister directed that the externally aided projects should be completed within the stipulated time period. Schemes supported by the Central Government should be given top priority. He also directed to expedite the schemes with 90 percent central share and 10 percent state share. The Chief Minister has also directed that the Spring and River Rejuvenation Authority should prepare short and long term treatment plans for the revival of natural water sources and rain-fed rivers and evaluate and monitor them.
Effective steps should be taken in collaboration with the Forest Department
The Chief Minister directed that work should be done keeping in mind sustainable water resource management, sustainable land and ecosystem management, climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation for the planning and implementation of watershed development projects. Effective steps should be taken in collaboration with the Forest Department to reduce human-wildlife conflict. Along with promoting traditional products, work should be done to increase the income of farmers through horticulture and agro-forestry activities in cultivable wastelands. Participation of women should be increased for women empowerment in watershed schemes. It was informed in the meeting that the ‘Uttarakhand Climate Friendly Rainfed Agriculture Project’ funded by the World Bank has been approved by the Watershed Department to benefit mountain agriculture in selected micro watershed areas in Uttarakhand and to reduce greenhouse gas.
This scheme of Rs 1148 crore will operate from 2024 to 2030. Under this project, work will be done to reduce water drainage and soil erosion through spring shed management, reduce greenhouse gas in the agricultural sector, increase the income of farmers through carbon fencing by improving the amount of carbon through tree plantation on rainfed and fallow land, increase the productivity of rainfed and irrigated crops, establish agricultural clusters for high value crop production and establish Agri Business Growth Center. It was told in the meeting that work is going on under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana-Watershed Development Component 2.0 in three districts of the state, Pauri, Almora and Pithoragarh. Watershed Management Minister Satpal Maharaj, Vice Chairman Infrastructure Monitoring Council Vishwas Dabur, Vice Chairman Watershed Council Ramesh Gadhiya, Chief Secretary Radha Raturi, Additional Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan, Principal Secretary R. K. Sudhanshu, Secretary R. Meenakshi Sundaram, Special Secretary Dr. Parag Madhukar Dhakate, Additional Secretary Namami Bansal, Project Director Watershed Neena Grewal and other officers of the Watershed Department were present in the meeting.
