E-Paper
Uttarakhand CM suggests linking of rain-fed rivers with glacier-fed rivers
Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami made the suggestion in the Central Zonal Council meeting held in Bhopal under the chairmanship of Union home minister Amit Shah
Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday suggested linking rain-fed rivers with glacier-fed rivers on a scientific basis, stressing it would not only benefit the state but the entire nation.
Dhami made this suggestion in the meeting of Central Zonal Council held in Bhopal under the chairmanship of Union home minister Amit Shah. The Central Zonal Council comprises Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The meeting was attended by chief ministers and other senior officers of member states and the central government with the mandate to discuss issues related to power, river water sharing, connectivity and so on.
“Rain-fed rivers should be linked with glacier-based rivers on a scientific basis. It would not only benefit the state of Uttarakhand but the entire nation”, he said
The Chief Minister also suggested starting a special campaign for the rejuvenation of natural water sources in the mountainous region with the help of the central government. He also requested cooperation from Centre for the speedy implementation of the stalled hydroelectric projects in Uttarakhand.
Dhami said that keeping in view the vulnerability of Uttarakhand to disasters, the state needs a strong weather forecasting system and related infrastructure with Doppler radar. He also requested for organising of the next meeting of the Central Zonal Council in Uttarakhand.
The chief minister added that keeping in view the difficult geographical conditions of the state, special attention should be paid by Centre to prepare state-friendly tailor-made schemes in place of “One scheme fits all”. The state will benefit from tourism, horticulture and aromatic plant-based central schemes, he added.
The CM said that Uttarakhand is providing important ecosystem services to the nation by conserving its forests and glaciers. According to a study by the prestigious Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal, the annual value of these ecological services provided by the state is at least ₹95,000 crore. “I urge the central government to give importance to these ecological services in the allocation of resources among the states”, he said.
Dhami said that a large number of pilgrims and tourists from the country and abroad travel to the state. “The population of Uttarakhand is about 1.25 crore, but every year about six crore people come to Uttarakhand in the form of floating population. Accordingly, the state government has to make arrangements. Therefore, in view of the limited resources of the state, this important fact of the floating population should also be kept in mind during the allocation of financial resources by the central government”, he said.
The Chief Minister added that it is imperative to connect the border areas of Uttarakhand by road, railway and air. “The all-weather road should be extended up to the border areas. Tanakpur to Bageshwar railway line should be constructed in Kumaon division. Due to limited resources, Uttarakhand should get exemption on the condition of sharing more than 50% in the cost of railway projects”, he said.
The CM said that at present there are Naini Saini, Gauchar, and Chinyalisaur airstrips in the state. “There is a need to expand them and build other heliports from strategic point of view. The establishment of a new airport in Chaukhutia area, located between Kumaon and Garhwal region and near the summer capital of the state, Gairsain, is very important from the economic and strategic point of view”, he said.
The chief minister also requested for the speedy approval of the proposed work under Bharat Net-2 project for providing connectivity in 5,942 gram panchayats without mobile and internet connectivity in Uttarakhand
The CM also requested for a reduction of 10% of the amount to be kept in the account of the National Authority under Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) to 2%. He said that this remaining 8% amount could be used for the implementation of public interest and welfare schemes related to the conservation and promotion of forest and wildlife under the activities permitted in CAMPA in view of the extreme geographical conditions of the state.
He said that Him Prahari Yojana is proposed to be implemented in the snow-covered areas of the border districts of the state. “Information dissemination, relief and rescue work, border security training, awareness, and self-defence training will be carried out by Him Praharis at the time of disasters. He requested the central government for financial assistance for the scheme.
Expressing his gratitude for the cooperation of the Centre in the development of the state, the chief minister said that under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the reconstruction of Kedarnath Dham, the master plan of the Badrinath Dham and the construction work of Rishikesh-Karanprayag rail project were going on at a war footing level. The state government is moving forward in the direction of implementing the Uniform Civil Code in the state, he added.
