A meeting of the District Water and Sanitation Committee was held at the Collector's office in Rajkot, chaired by District Collector Dr. Om Prakash, where significant decisions were made to strengthen rural water supply systems. The committee granted in-principle approval for various works worth 38.97 lakh rupees under the 'Kaya Kalp' program to enhance drinking water supply infrastructure in 17 villages across 11 talukas in the district.
The approved works will include drilling new boreholes, installing pumping machinery, and strengthening the pumping systems on existing boreholes and wells in the respective villages. Additionally, officials were instructed to ensure that there is no shortage of drinking water in any village during the summer season, while reviewing the progress of plans approved in the previous meeting.
The meeting also included a detailed review of the plans and activities operated by WASMO. Discussions covered water tax collection by village panchayats, training for pump operators, water testing at the rural level, the 'Jal Arpan Utsav', and the progress of approved works, with necessary directives provided.
Furthermore, discussions were held regarding the demolition of old water tanks that have become dilapidated and hazardous in various villages. The Collector directed the formation of a joint committee comprising executive engineers from the District Panchayat, Irrigation Department, R&B, PIU, Water Supply and Sewerage Board, and WASMO to assess these tanks and determine the process for further action. This committee will establish the original value of the tanks and ensure compliance with panchayat regulations for subsequent actions.
The meeting was attended by various departmental officials, including Vivek Gohil, Executive Engineer (Irrigation) of the District Panchayat, Ankit Gohil, Executive Engineer of the Water Supply and Sewerage Board, and Deepak Bariya, Executive Engineer of WASMO.
