Local administrations and departments concerned should ensure that every village in the district gets rainwater harvesting apparatus in the next 100 days, said Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat’s Chief Executive Officer Kumara here on Thursday.
Presiding over the district Jal Shakti Mission’s review meeting, Mr. Kumara said that tanks have to be surveyed to asses the possibility of their rejuvenation under the comprehensive tank rejuvenation programme. Every gram panchayat should build at least one or two new tanks in its limits, the CEO said. Officials should also ensure that all encroachment upon water sources were removed.
Mr. Kumara told officials that soak pits have to be built for houses in villages. They should undertake construction of soak pits under the Jal Shakti Mission or the MGNREGA after conducting a survey of households to identify availability of such pits.
Meanwhile, the work of rejuvenating borewells also should be taken up at panchayat level after conducting a survey. Stating that all gram panchayats should get rainwater harvesting system installed for their buildings, the CEO said that panchayats should provide this facility for buildings housing hostels, schools, anganwadis, primary health centres and other government buildings.
Mr. Kumara said that the Forest Department should plant more and more tree saplings under the afforestation programme on road flanks, tank bunds, school premises and hostels.
Kitchen gardens should be raised on government building premises while farmers should be encouraged to raise such gardens.
Zilla Panchayat Deputy Secretary K. Anand Kumar and others were present.
