Mumbai, June 16 (IANS). The Maharashtra government is going to launch a new dedicated scheme to accelerate the desilting of rivers and drains across the state. At a meeting held at the ministry on Tuesday, Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule directed officials to immediately prepare a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the desilting work in Nagpur and Amravati districts. He also announced that a decision will be taken to delegate necessary powers to the District Collectors for effective implementation of these works.
Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said that desilting of rivers and drains is the need of the hour. These works are very important from the point of view of water conservation, ground water recharge and flood control. Therefore, a clear SOP will be prepared to expedite the works in Nagpur and Amravati districts. The state government will also soon launch a new dedicated scheme for desilting of drains. By handing over necessary powers to District Collectors, these tasks will be completed more effectively and faster.
Soil and Water Conservation Minister Sanjay Rathod, Minister of State for Relief and Rehabilitation Ashish Jaiswal, Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) Vikas Kharge and senior officials of Revenue and Water Conservation Departments were present in this meeting.
Heavy silt accumulation in many rivers and drains of Nagpur and Amravati divisions is disrupting the natural flow of water, reducing water storage capacity and adversely affecting ground water level, irrigation system and flood control during monsoon. To address this problem, it was decided to prepare a separate Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to carry out the desilting operations in a more effective and timely manner.
In the meeting, delays in approvals from various departments, rules related to silt removal and difficulties faced at the local level were reviewed. To speed up the decision making process at the local level, it was decided to delegate necessary administrative powers to the District Collectors.
–IANS
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