Vinod Bhat
New Delhi: Union Minister for Jal Shakti Shri C. R. Patil chaired a review meeting with HoDs in the presence of Minister of State of Jal Shakti Sh. Raj Bhushan Choudhary of the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation to assess the overall progress of projects, programmes, schemes and initiatives being undertaken by the Department and its various wings and organisations.
During the meeting, Flood Management Wing (FM Wing), Farakka Barrage Project, National Water Mission, Modernisation of Command Area Development and Water Management (M-CADWM), Basin Management–I & II, National Water Development Agency, Ken–Betwa Link Project Authority, Brahmaputra–Barak River Matters, Brahmaputra Board, Minor Irrigation Statistics, and National Institute of Hydrology (NIH) gave detailed presentations on their ongoing projects and activities.
The discussions focused on the status of ongoing projects including progress of projects under the Flood Management and Border Areas Programme (FMBAP), progress of major works, including replacement of barrage gates and anti-erosion measures under implementation-related challenges under Farakka Barrage Project, priority activities and initiatives of the National Water Mission, implementation status of 35 pilot clusters under M-CADWM, status of the Ken–Betwa Link Project, including the link canal, Daudhan Dam and progress of preparation of master plans/DPRs by Brahmaputra Board, progress of four ongoing censuses under the Minor Irrigation Statistics programme, targets and progress of major programmes and activities of NIH, etc. The Minister issued directions and recorded decisions aimed at expediting project implementation and strengthening coordination with the States for completion of projects in time bound manner.
Emphasizing the need for expeditious implementation, the Union Minister directed that bottlenecks affecting the progress of projects be identified and resolved speedily in order to ensure timely completion of projects. He called upon senior officers and heads of the concerned wings and organisations of the Department to ensure effective follow-up on the decisions taken during the review and maintain close monitoring of implementation, with a focus on achieving the desired outcomes within stipulated timelines.
