Amidst controversy over the new drinking water policy for highrise buildings to be implemented by the Public Health and Engineering Department (PHED), chief minister Ashok Gehlot has announced that the state government would provide pipeline drinking water connections to all highrises across the state, in his Budget speech.
“Highrise buildings in the state mostly depends on ground water resources to daily needs of the residents. This is not good for the ground water level in the state. We would be providing pipeline drinking water to all highrise buildings of the state,” Gehlot said.
PHED officials said, the draft of this new policy had already been forwarded to the state secretariat and is lying with the finance department. With this announcement from the chief minister the draft will have to implemented in the upcoming fiscal.
The chief minister has also allocated Rs 1,691 crore under the Devas III and Devas IV projects. The allocation will be utilized for construction of dam exclusively to provide drinking water to Udaipur.
“Surface water resources are permanent and long term than the ground water resources. Rs 11,255 crore has been allocated to provide drinking water to 133 villages across the state,” said Gehlot.
The government would spend this amount for three important projects of Rs 822 crores, Rs 5,776 crores and Rs 4,657 crores – all based on the Chambal River.
Under the Amrut 2.0 scheme – a flagship project of the state government – Rs 5,122 crore has been allocated to improve drinking water distribution network at 183 cities and towns of the state.
Presently, the Rajasthan Government is featuring at the bottom of the states’ performing lists for projects under the Jal Jeevan Mission. In the budget speech, Gehlot has announced projects amounting to Rs 11,255 under the JJM.
Last, to augment drinking water supply in the state Rs 13,000 crore has been allocated to Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project. The subsidiary of the state government is all set to allocate several major projects and utilize this fund for the forthcoming fiscal.
In the irrigation field the government has allocated Rs 3,600 crore for Rajasthan Irrigation Restructure Programme.
