Raj govt mulls to rope in pvt company to meet water crisis

With an aim to address acute water shortage in Rajasthan, state government is considering to rope in a company to explore underground water stream in Churu-Rajgarh-Sardarshahar area.
Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) Minister Kiran Maheshwari in a national workshop witnessed presentation of the company, which has worked in Spain and Dubai on similar projects by drilling the ground as low as 1000 meters to get fresh water, and asked them to submit a proposal for a pilot project in the state.
"I have asked the company representatives to consider a pilot project of underground water exploration in Churu-Rajgarh-Sardarshahar area of the state," Maheshwari said.

Modalities of the project would be decided later, an official said.
Principal Secretary of PHED Jagdish Chandra Mohanty said that the company has been asked to submit a formal proposal to the state government for ground water exploration in Churu-Rajgarh-Sardarshahar area.
The minister said that the situation of ground water level in the state is becoming alarming day by day, which needed to be addressed with the help of government and community.

"Of the total 234 water blocks, only 25 are safe and remaining are semi critical, critical and in dark zone," she said.
We saw presentation of different groups, NGOs in the workshop and best practices would be introduced in the state as well, the minister added.

Maheshwari informed that the state government was also considering making district-level water plans and recharge old "Baodis" or step-wells.
She also appreciated people of Lakodia village of Jaipur district for taking up a task on to harvest rainwater.