Khattar reviews water conservation initiatives, calls for continued effort

CHANDIGARH: In a key meeting chaired by the Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar regarding water conservation on Sunday, he reviewed crucial water conservation projects while applauding the achievements. He also asked to chart the course for future endeavours.

Khattar expressed contentment over achieving physical and financial targets, directing engineers to resolve pending issues and ensuring necessary financial support.

Notably, MICADA and Irrigation Department could spend only 50 per cent of the budget in 2023-24, while for the current fiscal the expenditure will be about 80 per cent of the budget allocation, which is nearly 2,000 crore.

The chief minister emphasised the need for on-farm works during the monsoon season and encouraged continued efforts in this direction.

Advisor (Irrigation) to the chief minister, Devender Singh presented remarkable statistics, showcasing a 250 per cent increase in water course construction and a 500 per cent expansion in micro-irrigation compared to 2015-2016.

During the meeting, Khattar also directed the officers to address concerns about limited time windows for irrigation works, and further review the bank of sanctions to alleviate planning constraints and expedite project execution.

MICADA administrator Satbir Singh Kadian apprised the CM that 46,512 applications covering 1.5 lakh acres have been received through the MICADA portal. CM Khattar directed the prompt disbursement of assistance for pending applications, emphasising support to farmers. Out of these, work on 27,341 applications has been completed and the assistance amount for 7,198 applications has been released.