Sonmoni Borah, Nodal Officer of Centre’s ambitious Catch-The-Rain programme, review works done in Bemetara

Raipur
The Nodal Officer of Central government sponsored Jal Shakti Abhiyan’s Catch-the-Rain programme 2023 Sonmoni Borah reviewed the work done for water conservation in plain areas of Chhattisgarh during a meeting at the Circuit House in Bemetara on Wednesday.
Borah, Joint secretary Department of Land Resources under Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, was flanked by Scientists from Government of India Siddhant Kumar Sahu, and Water Shed CEO Ranveer Sharma and Joint CEO Kapil Deepak.

The Government of India has sent two-member team for the inspection of the works done under under the Catch the Rain programme of Jal Shakti Abhiyan.

Bemetara district collector Padum Singh Elma, District Panchayat CEO Leena Mandavi, Additional Collector Anil Bajpai and officers of various departments were also present in the meeting.
Borah reviewed the structures – Amrit Sarovar, Check Dam, Stop Dam – built by Mahatma Gandhi NREGA, Public Health Engineering, Forest Department, Water Resources Department, Rural Engineering Service, Agriculture Department and Horticulture Department under the programme .
The central team reviewed the Roof Water Harvesting, Gabion Structure, Jal Jeevan Mission, Tree Plantation done in the district by the Forest Department, Water Resources Department’s water structure pond and barrage etc.

The District Collector gave detailed information about Amrit Sarovar and said that there are 96 Amrit Sarovar in Bemetara district in which 90 lakes have been completed and 6 are under construction.
Borah said that water is priceless, “We have not inherited it, we have borrowed water, so we have to work by making an action plan for the ground water level and their promotion.”
He said that 46 check dams completed under the Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) scheme and 11 check dams under construction under the Water Shed Development Component (WDC) scheme.
Bora emphasized on the need for green corridors to increase ground water level under river water catchment management, mapping of channels for recharge areas capable of collecting flood water and urban areas.

He pointed out that climate change is reason behind depleting water table, causing droughts, flash floods and erratic monsoon.
CEO, Water Resources Department, Chhattisgarh, Shivhare informed that 110 reservoirs, 42 diversions, 03 US and 50 anicuts have been constructed under water resources in the district.
Irrigation and ground water augmentation takes place in 24,850 hectares through these schemes. Farmers also irrigate through anicuts with their own means in Kharif and their own tubewells, wells etc. are recharged due to rise in ground water level in 1 to 150 km on both sides of the river.

The 14 anicuts located on the Shivnath river have about 90 percent waterlogging in the month of May in the summer season, and 155 villages are supplied water through the group drinking water scheme from Khamharia anicut, Amora anicut and Nandghat anicut. Under Jal Jeevan Mission, it is proposed to provide drinking water from other 04 anicuts as well.
The central team instructed the concerned officers to bring quality and result-oriented progress and appreciated the catch the rain works done in the district.
The central team reached Tendua Nawagaon to see the Har Ghar Nal Har Ghar Jal Yojana running under Jal Jeevan Mission. Borah interacted with a resident Pardeshi Ram to know the problems people face.
During the district visit, the Nodal Officer Borah observed the works of renovation and beautification of the ponds constructed under Amrit Sarovar in Gram Panchayat Navkesha of Saja area and also planted saplings along the banks of the pond.
He appealed to the villagers to name the pond after the martyrs and take care of it. He asked the collector to name the 90 Amrit Sarovars built in the district after the names of the martyrs. He said that Amrit Sarovar Yojana is an ambitious scheme of the Central and State Governments under the Amrit Mahotsav of Independence.
Borah inspected the plants planted in Krishna Kunj located in Mohbhattha and planted mango saplings while making an appeal to the people to conserve environment.