Varinder Singh, Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, September 26. Gurdwaras, schools and panchayat ghars will now be contributing towards improving the ground water table in Nakodar, Shahkot, Lohian and Phillaur blocks of Jalandhar district with their roof-tops to be used for rainwater harvesting.
An area of 4,334 heactares in villages along the “Chitti Bein” rivulet has been selected for the Integrated Water-shed Management Programme.
The plan has already been successfully implemented in the lower Shivaliks falling in Hoshiarpur and Pathankot to contain soil erosion.
Ground water will be re-charged in the four blocks of Jalandhar district with the help of ultra-modern technologies and processes like rainharvesting, laser-levelling and micro-irrigation with the active help of villagers. “Roof-tops of buildings and the premises of 25 gurdwaras, schools and panchayat ghars will be used for recharging ground water by way of rainwater harvesting.
“Residents of these villages will be motivated to contribute to the success of the project,” said Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development) Sarojini Gautam Sharda.
“The biggest problem is that fertile soil in a large number of villages along the Chitti Bein is eroded during the rainy season. Now, soil erosion is being checked with the construction of toe walls and drop structures. These brick-lined, cemented structures will stop the soil from being washed away into the rivulet.
A huge chunk of land measuring 4,334 hectares in 40 villages of Nakodar, Shahkot, Lohian and Phillaur blocks has been selected for laser-levelling and water conservation under the Integrated Water-shed Management programme,” said Dr Jagir Singh, technical expert associated with the Rs 520 crore project. For rainwater harvesting, he said water would be collected on roof-tops of the selected buildings.
“Rainwater will be taken to silting tanks and filteration zones to be constructed within the premises of these buildings.
Then clean and filtered water will be released into the ground for re-charging the water table in the area,” he added.
