Considering the increasing population of towns in the State, the Chief Minister Harish Rawat has directed that a plan be drafted regarding the demand and supply of potable water for the next 10 years. The CM also directed that the repair of tube wells be completed within a maximum of two days.
Chairing a meeting to review the works of the potable water department at the Secretariat on Monday, the Chief Minister directed the officials to ensure that water supply is not disrupted for more than two hours under any circumstances. Water tankers should also be used to ensure adequate water supply. If needed, mules should also be used to facilitate water supply in the rural areas, he said.
Addressing the officials, the Chief Minister said that in order to ensure proper and disruption-free supply of potable water in the State, the Peyjal Nigam and Jal Sansthan should comprehend their responsibility. They should work jointly ensuring time bound completion of the repair of single potable water schemes for which necessary funds will also be facilitated if required. Rawat directed that tube wells and lift pumping stations should be provided uninterrupted power supply by linking them to separate feeder with provision for a separate transformer to ensure that the supply of potable water remains free of disruption. Considering the increasing population of urban areas in Uttarakhand, the CM directed that proposals be drafted in view of this and included in the proposals sent to the Planning Commission to ensure the provision of funds. Rawat said that financial provision will be made for repairing of tube wells and hand pumps, while stressing that the departments concerned should ensure coordinated work to ensure disruption free water supply. The CM further said that funds will be facilitated if required for completing the repair of single potable water schemes in the rural areas of the State. He directed the departmental officials to ensure that the potable water pipelines are inspected regularly and that special focus is laid on the purity of the potable water.
State Potable Water minister Mantri Prasad Naithani, Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam vice chairman Dinesh Dhanai, additional chief secretary Rakesh Kumar, principal secretary, Potable Water S Raju and other departmental officials were among those present in the review meeting.