Water purifying equipments to be set up in Himachal schools

Shimla, Nov 11 (UNI) An ambitious 'Jalmani Yojna' to provide potable water in all Himachal schools will be launched on November 14 from Government Senior Secondary School Bassi in Bilaspur district.

Announcing this here today, Irrigation and Public Health Minister Ravinder Singh Ravi said that Rs 40,000 would be spent on setting up water purifying equipments in each schools to ensure supply of clean water to the students. The entire expenditure on this programme would be borne by the Centre.

The Minister further said that as a special category state 90 percent amount of the loan raised for channelisation of Swan river in Una district would be provided as subsidy under Flood Management Programme while 10 percent of this loan would be borne by the state.

NABARD has sanctioned Rs 235 crore in the second phase for the channelisation of Swan river, which would reclaim 5,000 hectares of land spreading over 28 kms stretch. He said that Rs 40 crore had been received from NABARD for the second phase of the channelisation.

Rs 106 crore had already been spent in the first phase on the channelisation of the river covering about 17 kms area which had benefitted the farmers of Una district providing them facilities for production of off season vegetables, horticulture activities and fisheries strengthening their economy.

The total length of Swan river is 85 kms out of which 65 kms falls in Himachal Pradesh and 45 kms of this stretch remains to be channelised. In the 2nd phase, 28 kms length from Jhaleda bridge to Gagret would be channelised, he added.

UNI XC PS JS1810