The State Government has been increasingly putting stress on rain water conservation as the water table has been plummeting alarmingly in various parts of the State.
Sadly, quality of water conservation projects built in Sonepur Muncipality, Binka and Tarbha NAC of Subarnapur district is very poor. Hardly has a month passed since their construction when many water conservation projects have started crumbling, reports said.
Local residents have raised questions on the durability of these projects, saying that the purpose of the projects has been defeated.
“These projects are to catch rain water and recharge the depleting groundwater level in the civic body area. We are sorry to see their condition now. They were built some months ago,” some residents in these areas lamented.
Reports further said over 60 rainwater conservation projects have been built in Sonepur Municipality, Binka and Tarbha NAC with funds provided under the Mukhyamantri Karma Tatpara Yojana (MUKTA) and also by funds from the Housing and Urban Development Department. As per sources, Rs 30,000 has been allocated for each project in 2022-23.
However, the local residents said that engineers of the department did not monitor the projects during construction. Funds were provided to some self-help groups (SHGs) to carry out construction work for vested interest.
At many places of Tarbha and Binka NAC, some projects got damaged before this year monsoon and many projects are not even visible on the spot.
Locals demanded a high level probe into the scam in the MUKTA funds in Subarnapur district, besides intervention of the district Collector for better implementation of the scheme in the Municipality and NACs of the district.