Chief Secretary Anand Vardhan directed SARRA to expedite the ground water recharge policy, SOP of river revitalization and ‘One District-One River’ projects.
A high level committee meeting of Spring and River Rejuvenation Authority (SARRA) was held at the Secretariat on Thursday under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Shri Anand Vardhan. Many important topics related to groundwater conservation, rain water harvesting, revitalization of rivers and conservation of traditional water sources in the state were discussed in detail in the meeting.
The Chief Secretary directed the officials to adopt a special strategy to improve the underground water level in the state and for this SARRA should prepare a groundwater recharge policy as soon as possible.
Ground Water Recharge Policy: New policy will be made for rain water conservation
In the meeting, the Chief Secretary said that a groundwater recharge policy should be prepared to promote rain water conservation in non-government institutions, private institutions and residential societies. He said that implementation of this policy will lead to more effective use of rain water and will help in increasing the underground water level. Also, a systematic and long-term system can be developed in the state regarding water conservation.
Emphasis on conservation of streams and rivers, proposals sought from districts
The Chief Secretary directed the officials to immediately send proposals from all the districts for the conservation, promotion and restoration of streams and rivers of mythological, historical and cultural importance in Uttarakhand. He said that conservation of these traditional water sources is not only essential for water security but is also extremely important for safeguarding the cultural heritage of the state.
River Rejuvenation: SOP will be made for revitalization of rivers
The revitalization works of the rivers of the state were also reviewed in the meeting. The Chief Secretary directed that a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) should be prepared soon to speed up the work in this direction. He said that the state government is continuously working to revive the rivers and better coordination among all departments will make these projects more effective.
One District One River Project: Proposed projects should start soon
The Chief Secretary directed to start work soon on all the proposals received under the ‘One District-One River’ project. He said that projects which have larger scope can be implemented through convergence model between different departments, so that resources are better utilized and projects can be completed on time.
SARRA Projects Update: Work going on 86 projects, 16 projects completed
It was informed in the meeting that during the financial year 2026-27, work is going on on 86 projects in various districts of the state through SARRA. Apart from this, 16 projects operated in Uttarkashi, Nainital and Tehri districts have been successfully completed. The officials informed the committee about the progress of these projects.
Senior officials participated in the meeting
In the meeting, Principal Secretary L. FANAI, Secretary Dilip Jawalkar, Ranveer Singh Chauhan, C. Ravi Shankar, Special Secretary Dr. Parag Madhukar Dhakate along with senior officers of various departments and representatives of technical institutes were present. Everyone also gave their suggestions on making the schemes related to water conservation and river revitalization more effective.