By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net
Bhopal : Due to inadequate rainfall during monsoon season 151 tahsils of 37 districts of Madhya Pradesh have been declared as drought affected. An allotment of Rs. 43. 50 crore has been made for relief works in these districts.
This decision was taken by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan while reviewing the relief works being carried out in the drought affected areas of the state here at the state secretariat Mantralaya today.
The Chief Minister directed to make the arrangements for employment and drinking water as per requirement in the affected areas. Adequate fodder and water supply for the cattle should also be ensured. He appealed to the farmers having adequate stocks of fodder to donate it for the cattle and the districts having excessive stocks should send it to the deficient districts, he added.
He directed to prepare a memorandum by January 15 for demanding central assistance. He also directed to prepare an action plan for drinking water arrangements in rural as well as urban areas till summer season.
Chouhan has asked the collectors to ensure adequate relief works in villages so that there is no migration in search of employment. In addition to the funds allotted so far a sum of Rs. 80 crore is available for drought relief works. He assured to provide funds as per requirement for relief works. A sum of Rs. 50 lakh each has been provided for transportation of drinking water in problem villages of Tikamgarh and Chhatarpur districts. An amount of Rs. five crore have been allocated to the PHE department for drinking water arrangements in rural areas.
In view of the grave drinking water problem in Gwalior city Rs. 13 crore have been sanctioned out of which the first installment of Rs. five crore has already been released. An amount of Rs. two lakh each have been released to all districts for nullah bunding to ensure water for the cattle while Rs. 20 lakh each have been given to Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur and Panna districts for transportation of drinking water in urban areas. ([email protected])