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Shri P. R. Dasmunsi the Minister for Water Resources has called for efficient management of created irrigation potential to maximize the benefits from irrigation project.. The Minister informed that the Ministry of Water Resources has decided to set up a Special Cell in the Ministry for the purpose of public/private partnership which will be headed by Joint Secretary(Administration) of the Ministry and that the Cell will be provided with necessary budgetary provisions from next year. Regarding water problem in Delhi, Minister for Water Resources informed that he proposed to have detailed discussions with Delhi Government and also with DDA to address the issue. He was addressing a press conference after visiting the pavilion of the Ministry of Water Resources at the India International Trade Fair, 2004 here today.
Referring to the observations of the President of India made at the inauguration of the Trade Fair, wherein the President had stressed that agriculture and information technology were the key drivers of the socio-economic development, the Minister for Water Resources focussed on the present scenario in the Water Resources and informed that common minimum programme adopted by the Government has duly emphasized the issues of water resources sector, particularly those related to the drinking water in rural and urban areas and early completion of all on-going projects.
The Minister for Water Resources clarified that the idea of inter-linking of rivers was originally mooted out by Late Shri K.L. Rao, as Minister of the Congress Government at the center and that the national perspective plan was also prepared during the early Congress Government. He also informed the members of media that the National Water Development Agency which has been set up to take up the feasibility studies for the identified links was also set up by Late Smt. Indira Gandhi. He, however, stressed that it is necessary to take up the projects after examining all the related issues and hurried action is not called for. Minister for Water Resources informed the media that his Government will carry out the work after examining of related issues in a comprehensive manner and that he believed in work, rather than mere announcements.
Shri Dasmunsi also informed that the Ministry’s pavilion at the IITF-2004 has been specifically designed to address the themes of recycling of domestic water, roof top rainwater harvesting, water quality testing, water pollution and drip irrigation etc. Since roof top rainwater harvesting has gained popularity in many areas and there is a need to expand this activity throughout the country, a scheme for artificial recharge of ground water with estimated cost of Rs. 175 crores has also been proposed by the Ministry of Water Resources, he informed. This scheme is a part of the master plan for artificial recharge to ground water and the master plan covers the entire country involving 5.9 lakh artificial recharge structures of which 2.25 lakh are in rural area and 3.7 lakhs in urban area with a total cost of Rs 24,500 crore, Shri Dasmunsi further informed.
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