MANISH GUPTA
Ranchi, July 11: Nidhi Khare, central nodal officer for Ranchi district, Jal Jeevan Mission, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Union Ministry of Jalshakti, today raised concerns about unplanned development in Ranchi and growing scarcity of potable water.
Speaking to lagatar24.com, Khare said, “Unplanned development in Ranchi and other cities is leading to scarcity of potable water. We are not capturing the rainwater that can be conserved and used efficiently for both drinking and irrigation purposes.”
Khare, who is also the Chief Commissioner of Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), was on a two-day visit to Ranchi. She made field visits to Pithoria, Bero and Kanke over the two days to review the progress of various water conservation projects.
She reviewed the ‘Har Ghar, Nal Se Jal Scheme’ implemented by Jal Jeevan Mission and enquired about whether clean water was reaching the common masses. Jal Jeevan Mission is envisioned to provide safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections by 2024 to all households in rural India.
Khare also enquired about regular checkups of the water quality and the positive health impact due to water supply directly to the houses. Further, she suggested identifying different water sources for its conservation to provide relief to the local population.
“There are many water-stressed districts in the country including Ranchi. The situation worsens during the summers with the scarcity of potable water and water for irrigation becoming acute. Water level has started receding in many cities across the country.
“Ranchi and, in fact, entire Jharkhand are fortunate to have abundant rainfall. We need to capture the rainwater to check the declining trend in groundwater level. My visit is aimed at encouraging the countrywide ‘Catch the Rain’ movement in Ranchi,” she said.
She also highlighted that different schemes like soil conservation and rural employment guarantee scheme MGNREGA could be used in convergence to preserve water. Khare is Additional Secretary in the central government’s Department of Consumer Affairs.
