Chandigarh, June 19 (IANS): With two state-of-the-art water laboratories established in Gurugram and Kurukshetra, enhancing the capacity for water quality testing and monitoring, Haryana Chief Secretary, TVSN Prasad on Wednesday said the Union government has appreciated the state’s implementation of the Atal Bhujal Yojana across 1,647 Gram Panchayats in 36 blocks in all 14 districts.

The scheme aims to enhance the groundwater situation, improve water use efficiency, and promote sustainable water management.

Presiding over the meeting of the State Interdepartmental Steering Committee (SISC) of the Atal Bhujal Yojana here in which an incentive utilisation plan of Rs 184.24 crore was approved, the Chief Secretary directed the Irrigation and Water Resources Department to ensure proper storage and utilisation of excess rainwater during the monsoon season.

The department’s Engineer-In-Chief, Satbir Singh Kadian, apprised the meeting that during the last monsoon season 50 per cent of rainwater was utilised for water-deficient areas.

It was informed that out of the total outlay of the incentive utilisation plan, the Irrigation and Water Resources Department has been allocated Rs 122.09 crore, which includes Rs 96.30 crore for 48 projects focused on riverbed recharge, pond recharge, construction of storage tanks, water storage bodies, injection wells, recharge bore wells, etc.