HP to spend Rs 49.50 crore on hydrological project

The Himachal Pradesh government will spend Rs 49.50 crore on implementing a hydrological project in the state with financial assistance from the World Bank.

"The main objective of this project is to develop and improve an integrated and comprehensive hydrogeological data collection and information system in Himachal Pradesh for optimum utilization and sustainable management of water resources in consonance with the state water policy," Irrigation and Public Health Secretary Rajwant Sandhu said today, while inaugurating a workshop here.

She said the hydrology project phase-II envisaged establishing and monitoring of a network of river gauges, ground water observation, wells, rain gauges, snow gauges, fully climatic stations and water quality laboratories to prepare a data base of surface and ground water sources in the state and would be implemented over a period of six years.

State Engineer-in-Chief, Irrigation and Public Health, R S N Sharma said the state had made tremendous progress in the development of water resources sector having provided drinking water to 41,717 habitations, installed 14,389 handpumps and established 15 water quality testing laboratories upto July, 2006.