The Haryana Government has decided to spend over Rs 738.12 crore on 1,121 new schemes for improving the drinking water supply in rural areas and sewerage and storm water drainage system in urban areas of the State during the year 2017-18.
The scheme wise allocation was decided in the meeting of Water Supply and Sewerage Board for the year 2017-18 held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Manohar lal Khattar here on Thursday. The Minister of State for Public Health Engineering Department, Banwari lal was also present in the meeting. A budget outlay of Rs 3,382.82 crore has been approved for the Department for the year 2017-18 which is 27.4 per cent more as compared to previous year.
The Chief Minister directed the officers to make maximum use of funds allocated under the National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB). For this, he asked them to fast track the process for getting the projects approved from NCRPB.
While laying stress on water conservation, the Chief Minister directed the officers to make an action plan with the involvement of Public Health Engineering Department, Development and Panchayats, Urban local Bodies and Health to keep a tab on the wastage of drinking water and its leakage.
Apart from this, he also directed them to spread awareness among the people at the village level to stop wastage of water with the assistance of youth enrolled under the ‘Saksham Yuva’ scheme of the State Government.
During the meeting, it was informed that a special campaign of water conservation and cleanliness was carried out in 21 districts of the State during the month of May, June and July. To achieve the targets, 154 teams comprising Block Resource Coordinators, Junior Engineers were made in the State. Apart from this, the Development and Panchayats Department has also issued instructions on streamlining the installation of new submersible pumps or tubewells.
It was also informed that the operation and maintenance of water supply schemes for 1,752 habitations consisting 3,498 tubewells has been handed over to gram panchayats. The Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) of all the towns whose waste water enters into river Ghaggar have been completed and commissioned except one at Kurukshetra town.
Also, the work for the construction of STP at Kurukshetra has also been allotted and it is likely to be completed by December 2018. It was also informed that 20 new STPs have been set up and commissioned during the year 2016-17. These included five in Ambala, two each in Panipat and Rohtak and one each in Ateli Mandi, Jind, Julana, Kanina, ladwa, Narwana, Nissing, Shahbad, Taraori, Kosli and Hassanpur. Also, 497 new tubewells has been commissioned, 34 canal based water works constructed and 75 boosting stations installed and commissioned during this year.