El Niño impact: Fadnavis directs speedy execution of Jalyukt Shivar works

State Soil and Water Conservation Minister Sanjay Rathod said approval of the department's revised structure would help accelerate project implementation.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchan Yojana, around 22,000 works have been completed and geo-tagged; 57 Amrit Sarovars are being developed, of which 31 are planned to be completed before June 15.

District-wise desilting work had been planned till June 15.

Under the 'Galmukt Dharan-Galyukt Shivar' initiative, 477.73 lakh cubic metres of silt had been removed from 1,435 water bodies this year, restoring a storage capacity of 30,835 hectare metres and making 73,417 acres of land fertile.

Works have been prioritised in tanker-dependent villages and areas with depleted groundwater levels; physical verification of soil and water conservation works in watershed areas under various schemes was underway, with on-site verification of 12.27 lakh structures completed out of 15.15 lakh.

Department secretary Jitendra Papalkar said that 1,44,697 works had been sanctioned under Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan 2.0, of which 1,10,120 had been completed, with the remaining projects in progress.

He asked officials to approve state-level plans under Jalyukt Shivar 2.0 before May 15.

The chief minister directed that repair works of traditional Malgujari tanks in Vidarbha be completed before June, and said he would personally meet Union ministers to seek enhanced funding under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchan Yojana.

Fadnavis suggested bamboo plantation along desilted streams to prevent silt accumulation again.

The release notes that El Niño is likely to peak in August and September, with below-normal rainfall expected during the monsoon, according to the India Meteorological Department.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis directed officials to complete water conservation projects on a 'war footing' to combat El Niño conditions, prioritising measures to improve groundwater levels in affected areas and expediting works under Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan 2.0 and other water conservation schemes.