The district administration will implement the Central Government’s Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) schemes in two phases in Coimbatore, said a release issued by Collector K. Rajamani here on Thursday.
The first phase of the JSA programme, mooted by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation of the Ministry of Jal Shakti, was from July 1 to September 15 and the second from October 2 to November 30.
The announcement followed a meeting of the JSA officials led by Joint Secretary Deepaand Sahu held with Mr. Rajamani, Coimbatore Corporation officials, executive officers of town panchayats and block development officers to explore ways to improve water management in the rural and urban parts of the district.
The release said that the meeting followed the Ministry’s efforts to make water-surplus the 250 districts in the country that the Central Government had identified as water deficit.
On Friday, the visiting officials formed teams to visit various parts of the district to study water conservation efforts, water management and explore ways to improve groundwater table.
The teams would also explore ways to rejuvenate dry, open wells and recharge dry bore wells, the press release added.
The district administration had, under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Generation Programme, taken up 7,494 works on 24,160 acre agriculture land to improve water percolation. Of those, the administration had completed 3,849 works.
Tiruppur
The team lead by Sujata Sharma, Economic Advisor for Ministry of Panchayati Raj, inspected the works taken up under the JSA in Tiruppur district on Friday. She launched works for construction of concrete check dam at Karumapalayam panchayat in Avinashi and visited areas in Thekkalur too.
On Thursday, Ms. Sharma headed a meeting on water conservation and rainwater harvesting with officials from the district administration. The meet was presided over by K.S. Palanisamy, District Collector, according to a release. Members of the special team constituted under JSA also participated in the meet.
The five objectives of the JSA campaign were water conservation and rainwater harvesting, renovation of traditional and other water bodies, reuse of water and recharging of structures, watershed development and intensive afforestation, Ms. Sharma said during the meet.
The departments involved in the campaign include Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department, Public Works Department, Forest Department, Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board, the release said. Prior to the meet, Ms. Sharma flagged off a rally for awareness on water conservation at the Collectorate. School students and self-help group members participated.