Chief minister Vijay Rupani directs concerned officers to ensure sufficient water storage in reservoirs in Saurashtra and Kutch regions.
The Gujarat government has made plans to maintain water supply till July 31 this year in areas likely to face shortage, officials said Sunday.
After attending a high level meeting on the looming water crisis in the state on Saturday, chief minister Vijay Rupani directed concerned officers to ensure sufficient water storage in reservoirs in Saurashtra and Kutch regions.
He also asked them to “ensure judicious use of stored water in locally available reservoirs elsewhere for drinking purposes,” an official release said.
“In the wake of likely water shortage during the coming summer months, Gujarat government has made advance planning to maintain drinking water supply in the worst affected areas till July 31,” it said.
Rupani also directed the collectors to review the water supply situation every week, it said.
At present, the Narmada Canal System is supplying drinking water to 165 urban areas and 8,639 villages as well as for irrigating the Rabi crop in the state.
“At the meeting, it was decided to restrict the use of water in the Narmada main canal and Saurashtra branch canal for drinking purposes only, while stopping supply of Narmada water to other canals,” the release said.
At the meeting, the progress of 32 projects, worth Rs 206 crore, was also reviewed. These projects are meant to maintain water supply through alternative means to the 32 urban areas and 1,400 villages during summer, the release said.
The state urban development department was directed by the chief minister to prepare long-term plans to ensure water supply to municipalities in Saurashtra and Kutch regions on a daily basis.
“He asked the officers to plan in advance supplying water to the salt pans along the sea coast of Surendranagar district through tankers and, if needed, to dig new borewells and hand pumps,” said the release.
Rupani also asked the officers to plan ahead to repair hand pumps and recruit repairing teams for hilly regions and suggested that water be supplied to affected areas from the Narmada canal through pipelines, it said.
