The Irrigation and Public Health Minister, Mr Kaul Singh Thakur, stated this while presiding over a meeting to review the functioning of his department. He said the weather had become erratic due to global warming and there was a perceptible decline in the pattern of the snow and rainfall. In the emerging situation the construction of rain water and snow harvesting structures had to be given top priority. Thus, the government was stressing on sustainability measures like rooftop rainwater harvesting structures in all institutional buildings. The collected water could thus be used for flushing of water closets, gardening and cleaning purposes. So far the department had completed 72-rain water harvesting structures and work on 64 was in progress.
Providing computers up to subdivision level throughout the state were setting up a management information system. The web site of the department had been launched to facilitate transparency and to provide more information about departmental activities. Mr Thakur said water supply scheme for Solan would be completed by October and that for Shimla by December. The schemes for Bhuntar, Bhota, Shah Tlai and Nauti Khad Shimla would be completed by the year-end. He said sewerage schemes at Rampur, Hamirpur, Una, Dharamsala, Jogindernagar, Arki and Kulu would be completed during the current financial year.
He said out 45,367 habitations in the state only 4,080 were to be provided with the drinking water facility. The state had fixed the target of 3,000 partially covered habitations to be provided the facility during 2006-07 and 1,335 such habitations had been covered up to December 2006. He said the remaining 1,080 habitations would be covered during the next year.
Born in Germany and worked there as a social worker in the field of rehabilitation & disability. Currently working with SIDHI voluntarily
