SHILLONG, Nov 4 (PTI): Union Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat expressed optimism that modern science and technology will come up with a workable solution to the flood problem in the NorthEast region.
Participating in a discussion on Space Applications in Flood Management in the North Eastern Region at the North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC) at Umiam near here on Thursday, he said, “the ministry intends to make maximum use of modern science and technology to come up with a workable solution to the age-old problem of floods in the Northeast region.”
The Jal Shakti minister “Several measures are being taken on a large scale to provide relief to the Northeastern states from the ravages of floods.”
He said that the aim of the Jal Shakti Ministry is to provide water to each and every household and agricultural land.
Shekhawat said that the discussions revolved around technological intervention to expedite the development activities and its implementation in the region, reiterating Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision and commitment to bring in all-round development in the Northeast.
The union minister also attended a review meeting of different schemes of the Government of India such as Jal Jeevan Mission, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana-Har Kher Ko Pani, Springshed Development Project for Rejuvenation of Springs for Climate Resilient Development in Meghalaya.
The Meghalaya government apprised the union minister of the initiatives for conservation of land and water that are being implemented in the state through community participation in projects under Meghalaya Basin Development Authority, ADB funded Climate Adaptive Community Based Water Harvesting Project among others.
The Jal Shakti minister said of the targeted 19.15 crore rural homes in India, 10.44 crore, or more than 54 per cent, currently have tap water connection.
Shekhawat said that at the time the Jal Jeevan Mission was launched in Meghalaya the state had less than 1 percent of coverage of tap water connected to rural households.
“… Meghalaya has made remarkable progress and has been able to achieve 41.5 percent of tap water connections,” he said.
The union minister said of the 6.30 lakhs households in the state, tap water connections have been established in 2.61 lakhs households.
“I have a firm belief that Meghalaya will be able to provide tap water connections to the remaining households way before the deadline,” he said.
