Vasundhara's water storage prog all set to counter Cong campaign

Udaipur, Rajasthan, Oct 6: In the wake of intensive campaign by Congress on farmers' distress in Rajasthan, the BJP government is all set to showcase its innovative water management programme to deal with erratic monsoon and potable water scarcity. 'The water management campaign in our state is scientifically planned on watershed basis. The sole objective of Mukhyamantri Jal Swavlamban Abhiyan (MJSA) is designed to render villages self reliant in the context of mitigating basic water needs,' says Vishnu Mallik, Collector of Udaipur district. The programme is based on Four Water usage concept and in last four years have already helped at least 3,529 villages across the state. MJSA was tailored with 'astute planning' and proper scientific multi-layer review and has at the state level brought sea change in improving water table in a state which is water starved, says Rakesh Reddy Consultant for MJSA. Mr Reddy further told UNI here that ...'Matters concerning water did bother Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje in 2013 about six months before she led BJP to a record victory.' According to Mr Reddy, who also studied water related issues in the US, the Chief Minister had hired Reddy and his team of colleagues in Hyderabad based NGO Lokheet and invited them to work on watershed plans and water harvesting long before she was actually the CM for the second term. Agrees Udaipur Collector Mallik and says in his district alone there was a salutary effect and the programme has already resulted in tapping of additional water, increase in ground water table, increase in irrigated area and cropped area. 'Due to increase in water table and cropped irrigated area....even agriculture production is increased from 18 to 25 per cent,' says Collector Mallik. A large number of villagers who gathered to meet officials and a group of visiting journalists endorse the official version. 'Sahabji..seeing is believing. Had u come few years back....u would not have seen so much greenery around....My village depended on water tankers for drinking water....Now its different. This season we went for maize and wheat,' says 52-year old Motilal Rout from Vejada village. In the first phase the total expenditure was Rs 1,400 crore, while in second phase it was about Rs 1,600 crore. UNI