Haryana Praised for Effective Sustainable Water Management Through Atal Bhujal Yojana

Two state-of-the-art Water Quality Labs have been set up in Gurugram and Kurukshetra to enhance water quality testing and monitoring capacities.

Haryana's Chief Secretary, T V S N Prasad, announced that the State has been praised for its effective implementation of the Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABHY). This scheme aims to improve groundwater recharge, water use efficiency, and sustainable water management. It targets 36 blocks in 14 districts, covering 1,647 Gram Panchayats.

The information was shared during the State Level Inter Departmental Steering Committee (IDC) Meeting on ABHY. An incentive utilization plan of Rs 184.24 crore was approved. The Chief Secretary directed the Department of Irrigation and Water Resources to store and use excess rainwater during the monsoon season.

Dr Satbir Singh Kadian, Engineer-in-Chief, informed that 50% of excess rainwater from the last monsoon was used in water-deficient areas. The Department has been allotted Rs 122.09 crore out of the Rs 184.24 crore plan. Rs 96.30 crore will be used for 48 projects focusing on river bed recharge, pond recharge, and storage tanks.

Additionally, Rs 16.79 crore will be invested to establish 4,000 AI and IoT-enabled pump controllers to enhance water use efficiency. For real-time groundwater monitoring, Rs 9 crore is earmarked to establish 178 piezometers and install Digital Water Level Recorders.

Rs 62.15 crore will go to the Micro Irrigation and Command Area Development Authority. This includes Rs 13.69 crore for watershed development at Seta Kholi in Ghothra Mohabtabad and rainwater harvesting ponds at Jharnna Mandir and village Pawta.

Rs 20.11 crore will be used for artificial groundwater recharge using canal water through 300 bore wells. Another Rs 5.71 crore is allocated for constructing 100 artificial recharge structures along canal berms in overexploited blocks.

A provision of Rs 22.64 crore will establish Solar Power operated Micro Irrigation Systems in 10 canal storage tanks in various villages in Nangal Chaudhary block. The IDC also approved reallocating Rs 97.02 crore to the Department of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare for underground pipeline and water conservation works.

An outlay of Rs 9.9 crore has been approved under Information, Education, and Communication (IEC). This includes Rs 1.08 crore by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare for training programs and awareness activities on DSR and crop diversification.

For 2024-25, Haryana has detailed its Annual Action Plan focusing on Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Building. Of the total outlay of Rs 207.17 crore, Rs 72.70 crore is allocated for institutional capacity within different sectors across the State.

The National Project Management Unit (NPMU) has approved specific milestones related to disbursement linked indicators with financial targets amounting to Rs 90.82 crore. These milestones are crucial for monitoring progress and ensuring efficient resource use aligned with ABHY's objectives.

The planned expenditure for these initiatives totals Rs 163.52 crore, highlighting a comprehensive approach to using financial resources for sustainable growth and governance reforms in Haryana.

A total budgetary provision of Rs 677.69 crore has been made for ABHY from 2020-21 to 2024-25. Of this, Rs 207.17 crore is earmarked for Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Building, while about Rs 470.52 crore is allocated for different incentives.

Haryana received an additional allocation of Rs 144.85 crore based on its exemplary performance under this scheme, bringing the total incentive funds to Rs 615.37 crore.

An increase in groundwater levels has been observed in five blocks and 90 Gram Panchayats, indicating a positive impact of the scheme’s interventions.

Monitoring infrastructure saw a significant boost with the installation of 1,647 rain gauge stations, 2,000 water flow meters, and groundwater quality testing kits in all Gram Panchayats.

Two state-of-the-art Water Quality Labs have been set up in Gurugram and Kurukshetra to enhance water quality testing and monitoring capacities.

Additional Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi; Additional Chief Secretary Ankur Gupta; Additional Chief Secretary Arunj Gupta; Commissioner Pankaj Agarwal; and other senior officers from various departments were present at the meeting.