Cabinet Secy calls for integrated action plan to tackle drought

Cabinet Secretary PK Sinha on Monday directed all ministries dealing with drought, which has hit 11 states in the country, to release additional funds to states as soon as the Finance Bill gets approved.

After a review meeting with Chief Secretaries of 13 states and secretaries, the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Rural Development, Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Water Resources and Ministry of Urban Development and other senior officials, Sinha called for a coordinated and integrated action plan by the Centre as well as the state governments to tackle the drought situation.

Sinha also directed the officers concerned to take measures for optimally utilising and storing rainwater, apart from taking other measures for water conservation. 

He also stressed that an integrated MIS be put in place by the Central ministries in consultation with state governments.

Sinha also asked the Central ministries to convey to the state governments about the total financial provision for each of scheme for the whole financial year, so that states can suitably arrange funds from other schemes to mitigate the problem arising out of the drought conditions.

Meanwhile, state chief secretaries raised issues such as construction of farm ponds, community ponds, check dams and desilting measures and demanded early release of funds to take up the water harvesting steps on a priority basis.

Earlier, in a letter to chief secretaries of the states, the Cabinet Secretary had asked them to take full advantage of the upcoming monsoon session and conserve rainwater. 

He also reminded them to use the existing water resources optimally and prudently.

In the review meet, chief secretaries of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat participated through video link.