Uttarakhand: Fourth meeting of the Executive Committee (SLEC) chaired by Secretary Dilip Jawalkar

The fourth meeting of the State Level Executive Committee (SLEC) was held under the chairmanship of Dilip Jawalkar, Secretary, Water Resources and Chief Executive Officer, Spring and River Rejuvenation Authority (SARRA). In this important meeting, a total of three action plans were approved, costing ₹382.26 lakh, taking steps towards water conservation and river rejuvenation. The approved projects include a ₹207.56 lakh action plan for groundwater aquifer recharge for Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar districts. Additionally, under the rejuvenation of rain-fed rivers, a ₹174.70 lakh project for the Chandrabhaga River in Chamoli district was also approved. Several important directives and decisions related to water conservation and management were taken at the meeting, with emphasis on implementing them with immediate effect. Instructions were given to send documentation of programs organized by all districts on the occasion of the state’s silver jubilee to the administration as soon as possible. Special emphasis was placed on the need for all line departments involved in water resources and river rejuvenation to work in coordination with each other.

The Secretary directed that SARRA committees should meet at the district level and submit proposals to the next meeting. He also directed that local communities’ participation in water conservation efforts be ensured and that Dhara-Naula Conservation Committees be formed at the Gram Panchayat level, which will perform local monitoring functions. He directed all districts to prioritize watershed-related projects in their action plans, being prepared under the “One District, One River” principle. This aims to ensure maximum rainwater conservation and enhancement. He directed that technical teams of the implementing line departments involved in SARRA be trained to ensure scientific and effective project implementation. He also directed that traditional Dhara and Naulas, the state’s invaluable heritage, be immediately identified for their revival.

The Secretary directed the organization of training for parahydrologists at the local and village level in the catchment areas of projects approved under the “One District, One River” principle, to promote local expertise in water management. Emphasis was placed on capacity building and workshops to ensure greater public participation in the projects.

At the meeting, Additional Chief Executive Officer Kahkashan Naseem gave a detailed presentation of action plans costing over one crore rupees and stated that all line departments should work together on a catchment area to ensure sustainable rejuvenation of the area. The decisions taken in this meeting clearly demonstrate the state government’s commitment to water conservation, the revival of traditional water sources, and river rejuvenation, prioritizing inter-departmental coordination and the active participation of the local community.

On this occasion, Chief Development Officers, Divisional Forest Officers, representatives of Irrigation, Minor Irrigation, Agriculture, Village Development departments from various districts joined the meeting online and the state level team of SARRA was present.