Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has directed that uninterrupted drinking water supply must be ensured across the state in view of the rising summer temperatures. He emphasized that all ponds, water reservoirs, and storage tanks should be kept adequately filled on priority.
The Chief Minister issued these instructions on Saturday while reviewing the status of drinking water and irrigation supply with officials from the Public Health Engineering Department, Irrigation Department, and other concerned departments at the Secretariat. He said that a meeting with the Ministry of Jal Shakti will soon be held regarding water-related projects such as the Kishau project linked to Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, and officials from these states will also participate.
Saini stressed that no shortage of drinking or irrigation water should be allowed in either rural or urban areas during the summer season. He instructed that all canal-connected waterworks and village ponds should be kept full. In areas dependent on tubewells, any faulty unit must be repaired on a priority basis. He also directed that water supply through tankers should be arranged wherever required.
Officials informed the Chief Minister that the water level in Bhakra Dam is currently in a comfortable position, standing 36 feet above the usual level. Haryana has so far used only 75–76 percent of its allocated share from the dam.
The Chief Minister also reviewed the availability of water in rural water supply schemes. Officials stated that the state has around 4,000 single-village water supply schemes and about 2,500 schemes serving multiple villages. All these systems are connected to canals and currently have sufficient water supply.
He further reviewed canal cleaning, repair, and reconstruction works and directed officials to speed up these activities. Saini also instructed that pending works related to Chief Minister’s announcements should be completed on priority and said he would soon review their progress with Additional Chief Secretaries.
The Chief Minister also emphasized prioritizing street lighting and village infrastructure works, including internal village roads (phirnis). In view of the monsoon season, he directed that trees be planted along village routes and phirnis, and asked sarpanches to identify suitable locations for plantation drives.
On this occasion, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Sh. Arun Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary, Irrigation and Water Resources Department, Sh. Anurag Agarwal, Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department and Panchayats Department, Sh. Vijayendra Kumar, and Commissioner and Secretary, Public Health Department, J. Ganesan, along with officers of other departments, were also present.
