Mumbai, May 8 Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday directed that water conservation projects and works under the Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan 2.0 must be completed on a war footing in light of the El Nino threat.
He emphasised prioritising areas where groundwater levels have depleted and making concerted efforts to recharge them.
He issued these directives at a meeting to review the Soil and Water Conservation Department's work.
CM Fadnavis stated that increasing groundwater levels is essential due to El Nino.
Priorities must be set for water conservation, and Jalyukt Shivar works to ensure timely completion.
State-level plans for Jalyukt Shivar must be approved by May 15.
Revised plans should be provided to districts to accelerate progress.
Beyond the selected villages, 10 per cent of additional works in neighbouring areas should also be undertaken based on priority, he added.
To prevent de-silted streams from clogging again, CM Fadnavis suggested planting bamboo along stream banks.
Repair work on Malgujari tanks in Vidarbha is scheduled for completion by June.
He mentioned that he would personally meet Union Ministers to secure increased funding under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana.
Soil and Water Conservation Minister Sanjay Rathod noted that the department’s revised organisational structure will speed up operations.
Guidelines have been established to ensure that work aligns strictly with the original plans.
Earlier, CM Fadnavis directed all state departments to prioritise disaster mitigation through rigorous water planning, accelerated soil conservation and the rejuvenation of old water resources.
He emphasised that the state must remain “battle-ready” to minimise the impact of a predicted rainfall deficit.
CM Fadnavis asked the administration to immediately focus on the Jalyukt Shivar and Galmukt Dharan-Galyukt Shivar (silt-free dams) schemes.
Repairing existing water bodies was highlighted as a cost-effective way to increase storage capacity.
The Chief Minister said each district will establish a dedicated Task Force comprising the Collector, irrigation officials and local body representatives to monitor water usage and storage.
To prevent a livestock crisis, he directed robust implementation of the Fodder Development Programme, particularly in the backwater areas of dams and drought-prone regions like Solapur, Sangli and Marathwada.
CM Fadnavis said that fertiliser supply and distribution will be monitored via the ‘AgriStack’ system, utilising Artificial Intelligence to prevent artificial scarcity and ensure transparency.
--IANS
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