Bhubaneswar: The Housing & Urban Development Department has asked all District Collectors, Commissioners of municipal corporations and Executive Officers of urban local bodies (ULBs) to maintain the over 37,000 rainwater harvesting projects established in 111 ULBs of the State under Mukhyamantri Karma Tatpara Abhiyaan (MUKTA).
In a letter, Municipal Director Sangramjit Nayak mentioned that in 2021 and 2022 as many as 37,242 rainwater harvesting projects have been built in 111 ULBs of the State under MUKTA scheme. Maintenance of these projects constructed under the ‘Catch The Rain Campaign’ will be undertaken.
As these projects are very useful in recharging groundwater through rainwater harvesting, the Department has prepared a plan for their maintenance.
Maintenance work of at least 37,000 projects will be taken up. State Nodal Officer of MUKTA and Director SUDA Sarada Prasad Panda has directed all Executive Officers to engage Mission Shakti Groups and Basti Bikash Sangathan in this maintenance work.
Public Health Department and WATCO can also engage Mission Shakti Groups in this work by coordinating with the Department in this regard.
Municipal bodies, Public Health, WATCO engineers and MUKTA team will supervise the maintenance work.
Panda has instructed to clear the dues of Mission Shakti and other organisations engaged in the maintenance work within seven days.
Panda said that a format will be prepared for the collection of information related to how maintenance work will be done and data will be collected from the field level in this format.
Funds required for the maintenance of the rainwater harvesting project will be provided to the municipal bodies from the grants of the Finance Commission.
