Ground water recharging drive: ‘Build more check dams, get Rs 1 cr prize’
60 GPs to get this prize says Minister DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru, Jan 24: Water Resources Minister DK Shivakumar said that the department has planned to give Rs 1 crore each as prize to 60 gram panchayats which construct more check dams in order to improve the groundwater table in the state.
Inaugurating a one day workshop on ‘Water Conservation in ground water exploited areas’, organized by the National Water Mission and the Water Resources Minister at GKVK in the city on Thursday, the Minister said that the department has planned various programmes in order to improve ground water table. Among them, construction of check dams was one. Two gram panchayats which construct more check dams in each district would be selected and Rs 1 crore prize would be given to each of the gram panchayat. In the state, total 60 gram panchayats would be selected for this prize, he said.
The farmers should come forward to construct more percolation pits and check dams to recharge the groundwater. Officials should organize such programmes in each taluk to create awareness among farmers about water conservation and usage. The government has been investing crores of rupees in the name of subsidy for power to agriculture pump sets. But the farmers would not pay taxes. But lift the water illegally from canals through pump sets, he said.
The department has received complaints that farmers have created artificial tanks to store water from canals and sell it. As a result, the tail-end farmers were not getting sufficient water. A committee would be constituted shortly to give a report on action to be taken against the farmers who have illegal water connections, he said.
There were disputes between states in sharing water of Mahadayi, Krishna, Cauvery and other rivers. Now, another project Mekedatu was included into this series. Though the state government has taken up projects without harming other states, unnecessary disputes were being created, he said.
The government has decided to implement Ettinahole project in order to ensure permanent irrigation facility to Kolar, Tumkur, Chikkaballapura districts and people should support such pro-people projects, he appealed.
Central Water Mission Director Nitishwar Kumar, MLA Dr Ajay Singh, Agriculture University vice chancellor Dr Rajendra Prasad, Visvesvaraya Jal Nigam managing director Jayaprakash, Cauvery Neeravari Nigam managing director Prasanna and others were present.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
