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Rajasthan CM Orders Summer Water Plan, Warns Against Scarcity

Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma has directed officials to ensure effective drinking water management across all villages and towns to prevent scarcity during the upcoming summer. He instructed departments to complete all preparations, including installing new hand pumps and repairing existing infrastructure, before the peak months. The CM also announced the launch of the 'Viksit Gram-Shahari Ward' campaign on March 19 to drive planned development at the local level. The review meeting was attended by key ministers and officials who presented district-specific action plans.

Key Points: Rajasthan CM Directs Officials to Prevent Summer Water Scarcity

  • Strict monitoring of summer contingency plan
  • 24-hour resolution for water complaints
  • Repair and install water infrastructure before peak summer
  • Launch of Viksit Gram-Shahari Ward campaign on March 19
  • Target to plant over 100 million saplings this year
3 min read

Ensure no water scarcity during summer, Rajasthan CM tells officials

CM Bhajan Lal Sharma reviews pre-summer water management, orders 24-hour complaint resolution and infrastructure repairs to ensure supply.

"The public should not face any water scarcity - Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma"

Jaipur, March 14

Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on Saturday directed officials and district administrations to ensure effective drinking water management across every village and town during the summer season, stating that the public should not face any water scarcity.

Chairing a review meeting at the Chief Minister's Office on pre-summer preparations, Sharma said officials must strictly monitor the implementation of the state's summer contingency plan.

He instructed departments to complete all preparations -- including the installation of new hand pumps and tube wells and the repair of existing pumps, pipelines and water infrastructure -- before the peak summer months.

The Chief Minister warned that no negligence would be tolerated in ensuring uninterrupted water supply.

Sharma directed officials of the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) and the electricity department to work in close coordination.

He said all drinking water-related complaints received on the state helpline 181 must be resolved within 24 hours.

He also asked officials to reduce supply intervals in areas where drinking water is currently provided once every 48, 72 or 96 hours.

Officials informed the meeting that a comprehensive contingency plan has been prepared for both rural and urban areas across all 41 districts.

District Collectors presented region-specific action plans, including strategies for canal-fed areas in Bikaner, desert districts such as Jodhpur, tube-well dependent regions like Dungarpur, and tribal and hilly areas in Udaipur.

Sharma also announced that the 'Viksit Gram-Shahari Ward' (Developed Village-Urban Ward) campaign will be launched on March 19 as part of the state's development initiatives.

The programme aims to prepare development master plans at the Gram Panchayat and urban ward levels.

He said the initiative will focus on planned development in areas such as education, healthcare, drinking water, electricity and road infrastructure, while also identifying opportunities for small and micro industries in both rural and urban areas.

Highlighting environmental efforts, the Chief Minister said nearly 190 million saplings have been planted across the state over the past two years, while a target of more than 100 million saplings has been set for the current year.

He directed officials to identify suitable plantation sites in advance and promote the planting of fruit-bearing trees suited to local ecological conditions, noting that such plantations can support both agricultural productivity and water conservation.

The meeting was attended by PHED Minister Kanhaiya Lal, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Sumit Godara, Chief Secretary V. Srinivas and other senior officials, while several Divisional Commissioners and District Collectors joined via video conference.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
The 24-hour resolution for complaints on helpline 181 is a welcome move if it actually works. Last year, we had a broken hand pump and it took 5 days for anyone to show up. Accountability is key.
R
Rohit P
Planting fruit-bearing trees is a smart, long-term strategy for water conservation and providing livelihood. Much better than just ornamental plants that don't survive. Hope they involve local communities in this.
A
Anjali F
While the directives sound good, the real challenge is coordination between PHED and electricity departments. In our area, the pump works but there's no power, or there's power but the pump is faulty. They must fix this silo approach.
M
Michael C
As someone who has visited Rajasthan, the water scarcity is a serious issue. It's impressive to see a comprehensive plan covering diverse regions from deserts to tribal hills. The focus on local ecological conditions for plantations is particularly sensible.
K
Kavya N
The 'Viksit Gram-Shahari Ward' campaign sounds promising. Development plans at the ward and panchayat level are needed. But they must ensure these plans are made with public consultation, not just by officials sitting in Jaipur.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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