Respite for 184 drought-prone villages

The city’s drought-prone villages can now hope for some respite as the Jalyukt Abhiyan or water conservation scheme, aimed at repair work of bunds, check dams, wells, reservoirs, will ensure there is storage of rain water in these areas. Pune district has readied a list of 184 villages which depend on tankers and the administration aims to carry out repair works ahead of the summers so that villages need less tankers in the summer months.

“Repair works were initiated on January 26 and we will be taking a stock of the situation at this month end,’’ said Pune District Collector Saurabh Rao. A total of Rs 100 crore is likely to be allocated for this programme, of which Rs 40 crore is to come from the DPDC funds once the state government approves the 10 per cent, and also funds are to come in from Cement Bund Nallahs, ZP and the other new DPDC schemes as well as from the 6 crore pending with the administration for drought related works.

The administration in the first phase will also implement existing schemes under the integrated watershed management programme. Of the 13 talukas,195 villages were identified and water auditing is to be done in each of these villages depending on the requirement of people, animals and irrigation. “How to solve the deficit will be assessed by the team of the agriculture and irrigation officials. Structures needing repair or construction will be listed,’’ said the collector. The administration will also look at Corporate Social Responsibility and identify works done in these areas. With the government keen on focussing in these areas, a meeting for the same has been scheduled with the concerned people and all the old and new works will be assessed. The participatory model will also look at banks and NGOs and activate them for the works.