Harish Rawat favours small dams to solve drinking water problem

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat has directed the authorities to expedite irrigation and flood control projects on the banks of rivers in the state.

The chief minister asked them to complete the projects by January next year. Rawat also favoured construction of small dams along the rivers to address drinking water problem in several parts of the state.

He also underlined the need for developing river fronts and creation of small water bodies instead of big ones in hill areas.

Expressing his preference for construction of small dams, Rawat said if small dams are built at one or two places near Saraikhet on Lakhora river of Almora, drinking water problem of many places in Kumaon and Garhwal regions can be solved. Small check dams are being built on the rivers by the forest department.

The irrigation department has already been provided with the funds it needed to take up the tasks assigned to it and hence it should lose no further time to commence work on the projects and ensure timely utilisation of the funds, the Chief Minister said. He was presiding over a meeting late yesterday to review the progress of irrigation and flood control projects.

Ordering completion of the flood control projects by January, Rawat said it will help the PWD take up road repair and reconstruction work early next year.

He said the state's share of Rs 137 crore has already been released for Centre sponsored irrigation and flood control schemes and Rs 20 crore was released for flood control measures in Uttarkashi. Asking officials to speed up flood control measures in Kedarnath, Rawat said details of the plan for treatment of Mandakini river beneath the Himalayan temple and reconstruction of areas close to it should soon be presented before the government.