Mumbai, May 8 (IANS) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday directed that water conservation projects and works under the Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan 2.0 must be completed on a war footing in light of the El Nino threat.​

He emphasised prioritising areas where groundwater levels have depleted and making concerted efforts to recharge them.​

He issued these directives at a meeting to review the Soil and Water Conservation Department’s work.​

CM Fadnavis stated that increasing groundwater levels is essential due to El Nino.​

Priorities must be set for water conservation, and Jalyukt Shivar works to ensure timely completion.​

State-level plans for Jalyukt Shivar must be approved by May 15.​

Revised plans should be provided to districts to accelerate progress.​

Beyond the selected villages, 10 per cent of additional works in neighbouring areas should also be undertaken based on priority, he added.​

To prevent de-silted streams from clogging again, CM Fadnavis suggested planting bamboo along stream banks.​

Repair work on Malgujari tanks in Vidarbha is scheduled for completion by June.​

He mentioned that he would personally meet Union Ministers to secure increased funding under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana.​

Soil and Water Conservation Minister Sanjay Rathod noted that the department’s revised organisational structure will speed up operations.​

Guidelines have been established to ensure that work aligns strictly with the original plans.​

Earlier, CM Fadnavis directed all state departments to prioritise disaster mitigation through rigorous water planning, accelerated soil conservation and the rejuvenation of old water resources.​

He emphasised that the state must remain “battle-ready” to minimise the impact of a predicted rainfall deficit.​

CM Fadnavis asked the administration to immediately focus on the Jalyukt Shivar and Galmukt Dharan-Galyukt Shivar (silt-free dams) schemes.​

Repairing existing water bodies was highlighted as a cost-effective way to increase storage capacity.​

The Chief Minister said each district will establish a dedicated Task Force comprising the Collector, irrigation officials and local body representatives to monitor water usage and storage.​

To prevent a livestock crisis, he directed robust implementation of the Fodder Development Programme, particularly in the backwater areas of dams and drought-prone regions like Solapur, Sangli and Marathwada.​

CM Fadnavis said that fertiliser supply and distribution will be monitored via the ‘AgriStack’ system, utilising Artificial Intelligence to prevent artificial scarcity and ensure transparency.​

–IANS

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