[ Pisi Zauing ]
MIAO, 4 Jul: The two-member central team, comprising NITI Aayog Joint Secretary KS Rejimon and Mausumi Sahoo of the Central Ground Water Board, who were on a four-day tour of Changlang district, took stock of the progress of the ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the rain where it falls, when it falls’ – a rainwater harvesting and water conservation campaign.
The team, accompanied by Deputy Commissioner Sunny K Singh, ADC Ibom Tao and other administrative officers, HoDs and ZPM Asamto Tikhak, last Saturday visited project sites in Samkhidong, Nongtham, Neotan, Old Plone and Khachang villages.
The team also visited the carpet weaving centre and emporium at the TR Camp, the Orchid Triangle Park, Miao Craft, the New Age Learning Centre, the Miao Fyt Gym, the water reservoir site in CHC Colony, the water pond site near the circuit house, a shooting range, and a ‘music studio-cum-jab centre’ at the KV.
Later, addressing media persons, Rejimon and Sahoo said that the main aim of their visit was to take stock of the progress of the projects under the Jal Shakti Abhiyan and spread awareness about rainwater harvesting and the water conservation campaign.
They said that the ‘catch the rain’ campaign has been taken up in rural blocks and all urban areas of the country “to nudge the stakes and stakeholders to create and maintain appropriate rainwater harvesting structures, suitable to the soil strata and climatic conditions of the area, using convergence of all relevant funds, with people’s participation, before the onset of monsoons, so that they are ready to catch the rain where it falls, when it falls.”
The members urged everyone to “take up reformative action and build check dams and water harvesting structures for mitigating the issue of water scarcity in the district.” They also suggested creating awareness among the people about rainwater harvesting and conservation of water.
The DC highlighted the difficult topography of the district, which he said was the main reason for “unsuccessful implementation of various central schemes.” He emphasised that “the government should prepare separate implementing guidelines for the northeastern states,” and assured to coordinate with all the departments and come up with an effective and comprehensive plan.
Earlier, the central team toured Changlang, Jairampur and Bordumsa, met the stakeholders, and discussed the subject.
