Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], September 13 (ANI): Himachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri met the Union Minister of Water Resources C.R. Patil at his residence in Delhi and reported losses the Jal Shakti Vibhag suffered over the past three years, amounting to roughly Rs 4,000 crores, as per a launch.
Agnihotri urged the Union Minister to increase a beneficiant hand in direction of Himachal in view of the large Natural Calamity the State has confronted through the monsoons. He acknowledged that the losses suffered by the State had been unprecedented, and the heavy brunt was confronted by the State’s Jal Shakti Vibhag.
He briefed the Union Minister that this yr alone, the Jal Shakti Vibhag had suffered losses of Rs 1291.51 crores. He urged the discharge of funds to the tune of Rs 1,227 crores, which was required for completion of the continuing schemes underneath Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).
Agnihotri advocated for releasing the funds underneath the Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA), considering the grave state of affairs confronted by Himachal Pradesh on account of flash floods and heavy disasters.
He additionally confused the necessity to chill out the norms underneath PDNA in order to expedite the restoration work and likewise insisted on the discharge of central help for ongoing irrigation initiatives underneath Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojna (PMKSY) on precedence.
The Union Minister was apprised that until date solely Rs 100 crore had been obtained out of Rs 697 crore authorized for the water provide Sector for the yr 2023, although the losses confronted had been to the tune of Rs 2,132.70 crores within the yr 2023 itself.
‘This is hampering the progress of restoration works’, he remarked.
The Deputy CM additionally urged for early approval of a scheme for the Modernisation of Command Area Development in numerous clusters of Haroli Block of Una, estimated to price Rs 9,778.00 lakh, for which the Union Minister assured his approval on precedence.
Agnihotri advocated for early launch of funds for the already authorized 11 flood safety initiatives, as most devastation has been noticed alongside the river banks. He mentioned that the Jal Shakti Vibhag has ready an in depth challenge report for Rs 1795 crores for channelisation after conducting mannequin research from the Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS) and requested the Union Minister to launch the identical on the earliest.
He additionally underlined the necessity for channelisation of the River Beas in view of its strategic significance, because the Kullu-Manali Airport and the Chandigarh-Leh National Highway lie on the banks of this river. He additional added that channelisation of this river would guarantee protected motion of Tourists, moreover transportation of Horticulture produce from the Kullu and Lahaul valley.
The Union Minister assured that he would look into the matter and think about the calls for sympathetically, and would absolutely approve the funds for the much-needed initiatives catering to public curiosity. (ANI)