Amid lockdown, Guj govt's water conservation scheme begins

Amid the lockdown for the coronavirus outbreak, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Tuesday gave the green signal for the third edition of his government''s ''Sujalam Sufalam Jal Sanchay Abhiyan'' , a conservation plan to deepen water bodies in the state before monsoon.

The scheme, which will continue till June 10, will see the deepening of lakes, check dams and rivers by removing silt, and it will be done with people''s participation as well as under MNREGA, said Ashwani Kumar, secretary, Chief Minister''s Office.

He expressed confidence it would create employment opportunities for the rural population amid the lockdown, adding that norms in place to combat the coronavirus outbreak will be adhered to while carrying out works under the scheme. "Apart from maintaining social distancing, local authorities need to provide masks and sanitizers to the workers," he added. The soil excavated during the drive will be given free of cost to farmers, he told reporters in Gandhinagar.

The scheme was started in 2018 after a weak monsoon, and till date, the state''s water storage capacity has increased by 23,000 lakh cubic feet due to deepening pf lakes, check-dams, rivers and reservoirs, said Kumar.

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