Haryana’s irrigation dept leads Atal Groundwater Scheme workshop

A state-level workshop, organised by the Irrigation and Water Resources Department in Haryana under the Atal Groundwater Scheme, took place on Friday at PWD Rest House in Sector-1, Panchkula. The opening ceremony was presided over by Keshni Anand Arora, Chairman of the Haryana Water Resources Authority.

Arora, addressing officials and participants, emphasized the significance of the Atal Groundwater Management Scheme, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 25, 2019, in honour of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s 95th birth anniversary. She highlighted the scheme as a major government initiative aimed at halting the decline in groundwater levels and enhancing management through community involvement and collaboration with concerned departments.

Notably, Chief Minister Manohar Lal’s commitment to positioning Haryana as a leading state in groundwater conservation was acknowledged. Arora commended the government’s steps toward addressing challenges in water conservation, considering it a crucial aspect of sustainable development.

During the inaugural session, Dr. Satbir Singh Kadian, Engineer-in-Chief, stressed the timely execution and monitoring of activities under the Atal Groundwater Scheme. Regular review meetings were urged, emphasizing the need to achieve all targets within the specified timeframe. Project Director of Atal Ground Water Haryana echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the importance of adherence to deadlines and the organization of regular review meetings.

Dr. Kadian provided a global overview of groundwater status, availability, and management, highlighting the department’s achievements in efficient water resource utilization. He expressed serious concerns about water wastage in rural areas and advocated for the judicious use of groundwater.

Dr. Kadian called upon all departments to understand the convergence matrix and offer the best possible support to ensure the scheme’s success in Haryana, emphasizing collective responsibility for water management.

Neeti Nair, Deputy Director, NPMU, Government of India, presented the scheme’s objectives, emphasizing community and departmental involvement. She stressed the need for sensitizing government officials about the Atal Ground Water Scheme, the scope of convergence, and the roles and responsibilities of concerned departments to achieve measurable results.