Underscoring the focus on water conservation in the Modi government’s second term, the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) is in the process of setting up rainwater harvesting structures in 136 government residential colonies in the first 100 days, officials said on Friday.
Addressing CPWD officials at the organisation’s 165th foundation day here, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry Secretary Durga Shanker Mishra said the agency had a target of either setting up or renovating the rainwater harvesting structures in 100 colonies within 100 days of the government coming to power.
Greening drive
CPWD Director-General Prabhakar Singh later said that while the agency had been given the target of covering 100 colonies, it was aiming at 136 colonies, of which 74 are in Delhi. He said that in areas where the water table was high, storage would be created for rainwater. Apart from ensuring that the rainwater harvesting structures were in place, cleaning and greening would also be carried out at these colonies.
In its second term, the Modi government has set up a new Jal Shakti Ministry. The Prime Minister also spoke of the need for making water conservation a mass movement in his first Mann ki Baat radio address since the Lok Sabha election.
At the foundation day event, Housing and Urban Affairs Minister of State (independent charge) Hardeep Singh Puri said the CPWD was not merely an organisation constructing government houses, but was at the forefront of promoting new construction technology.
