Scheme can’t cater to water needs of even 10% of Gujarat: Former CM Suresh Mehta

Former chief minister Suresh Mehta alleged that the government’s recent Jal Sanchay Abhiyan (a programme aimed at water conservation by deepening village ponds and rivers) would not even cater to 10 per cent of the state’s population.

Mehta, in a press conference, said that only 13,000 out of an approximate number of 1 lakh lakes in the state have been deepened as part of the jal sanchay programme. He also stated, the programme was like some old wine in a new bottle and was a continuation of earlier schemes that aimed at water conservation.

He further added that against 52 lakh farmers in the state, there are only 2.61 lakh farm ponds. This reveals earlier drives to create farm ponds have not achieved enough.

“Moreover with recent scams in the Gujarat Land Development Corporation in which payments were made for farm ponds that were dug only on paper, we are not even sure if the 2.61 lakh farm ponds claimed by the state government is the actual figure or not,” Mehta said.

Mahesh Pandya of People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) said that the government had promised to give a detailed account of the Jalsanchay yojana once the drive came to an end.

“So far none  of it has happened. Before the programme began it was said that 527 JCB machines, 2,000 tractors, and 27,000 labourers will be used to deepen reservoirs which will help conserve 11 lakh cusec of water,” said Pandya.

He said after the programme came to an end, the government announced that 4,600 JCBs, 16,000 tractors and 3 lakh labourers were put to service for the initiative. “We would like to know the accounts for the same. How did the estimated requirement and the actual numbers vary so vastly,” asked Pandya.