After spending money on groundwater replenishment, govt digs up hand-pumps.
Over Rs 1,100 crore has been spent to improve groundwater level in the state in recent years, but it seems, taxpayers’ money is going down the drain.
Call it political compulsions or last-minute rush to influence voters, government dug up 20,000 hand-pumps, 1,350 single-phase connection bore-wells and 5,000 tube-wells in three months, but all efforts and money would not yield results. “About 20,000 hand-pumps were dug up till September,” said Dr Purshottam Aggarwal, principal secretary of PHED.
Agencies like World Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency and NABARD have given Rs 1,188 crore in last few years.
This had been done on the demands of ruling MLAs , who claim of unavailability of drinking water in their constituencies. Therefore, instead of making plans to enrich the depleted groundwater resources and revive wells in the dark zone, the government hurriedly granted the sanction to further push the state into water crisis.
Notably, external agencies have funded various programmes in the last few years aiming at replenishing groundwater in state.
Around 59.3 % area of the state is overexploited or in the dark zone.
With elections round the corner and ruling MLAs demanding sanctions to dig tube-wells and hand-pumps in their constituencies, the government had set the target for PHED to dig 20,000 hand-pumps, 1,350 single-phase connection bore-wells and 5,000 tube-wells. “I had demanded 300 hand-pumps and was allotted,” said Mewaram, Barmer MLA.
Even though Sonia Gandhi had inaugurated the Barmer Lift Canal project a few months back, the MLAs are demanding hand-pumps and bore-wells due to water crisis. “There is 228% overexploitation of groundwater in the state,” said MS Rathore, a noted water expert and director of the Centre for Environment and Development Study.
Deepening water crisis in dark zones
The government dug up 20,000 hand-pumps, 1,350 single-phase connection bore-wells and 5,000 tube-wells in the last three months
This was done on the demands of ruling MLAs , who claim of unavailability of drinking water. So, instead of making plans to enrich the depleted groundwater resources and replenish wells in dark zone, govt hurriedly sanctioned it.
src: http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-rupee-1100-crore-goes-down-the-drain-in-rajasthan-1897676